"  THE   STEER    CHARGED    UPON    SAM." 

•Front  Rover  Boys  on  the  Plains. 


THE  ROVER  BOYS 
ON  THE  PLAINS 

OR 
THE  MYSTERY  OF  RED  ROCK  RANCH 


BY 

ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL,  THE 

ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN,  THE  PUTNAM 

HALL  SERIES,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET    &    DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS 


BOOKS  BY  ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 


THE  FIRST  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 


THE  SECOND  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


THE  PUTNAM  HALL  SERIES 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 


I2mo.     Cloth.     Illustrated. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  New  York 


COPYRIGHT,  1906,  BY 

THE  MERSHON  COMPANY 


The  Raver  Boys  on  tht  Plaint 


(106 


INTRODUCTION 

MY  DEAR  BOYS:  "The  Rover  Boys  on  the 
Plains"  is  a  complete  story  in  itself,  but  forms  the 
tenth  volume  of  a  line  known  under  the  general 
title  of  "The  Rover  Boys'  Series  for  Young 
Americans." 

Ten  volumes  make  a  great  number,  and,  as  I 
look  back,  I  wonder  how  I  have  been  able  to  write 
so  many.  As  I  have  said  before,  when  I  started 
this  series  I  had  in  mind  to  pen  three  volumes  and 
possibly  a  fourth.  But  no  sooner  had  "The  Rover 
Boys  at  School,"  "The  Rover  Boys  on  the  Ocean/' 
"The  Rover  Boys  in  the  Jungle"  and  "The  Rover 
Boys  Out  West"  appeared  than  there  was  a  de 
mand  for  another  volume,  and  then  more,  and  so 
I  have  had  to  take  the  boys  from'  time  to  time, 
"On  the  Great  Lakes,"  "In  the  Mountains,"  "On 
Land  and  Sea/'  "In  Camp"  and  "On  the  River," 
inhere  we  last  left  them. 

The  present  tale  tells  of  adventures  on  the', 
mighty  Mississippi  River,  and  then  on  the  great 
plains,  where  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam,  and  some  of 
their  friends,  have  a  variety  of  adventures  and  as 
sist   in  unraveling  the  mystery  surrounding  a 


M797090 


INTRODUCTION 

lonely  ranch.  Of  course,  their  old  enemy,  Baxter, 
is  bound  to  make  himself  known,  but  the  Rover 
boys  do  not  fail  to  take  care  of  themselves,  as  of 
old. 

Again,  I  thank  the  many  thousands  who  have 
shown  their  appreciation  of  my  efforts  to  amuse 
and  instruct  them.  I  earnestly  hope  the  present 
volume  will  not  disappoint  them. 

Affectionately  and  sincerely  yours, 

EDWAIHT  STRATEMEYER 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  ON  THE  HOUSEBOAT                   ,        0        *        .        I 

II.  THE  BIG  LUMBER  RAFT                     .        .        .        9 

III.  A  "  PKPPER  "   GHOST  e      17 

IV.  TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES  ,        „        «      26 
V.  DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS     .        .                *       »      36 

VI.  THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM      ...      46 

VII.  A  DAT  ON  THE  ROAD      .....      56 

VIII.  FUN  AT  THE  HOTEL        .....      64 

IX  HANS  AS  A  POET      .        .....      72 

X.  A  TWENTY-DOLLAR  BILL        ....      80 

XL  A  MIDNIGHT  SCARE                  ....      89 

XII.  THE  RUNAWAY  STEER     .        .        .       »        »      98 

XIII.  JIM  JONES,  THE  COWBOY  .        *        9    106 

XIV.  OUT  OF  AN  UNPLEASANT  SITUATION        „        ,114 
XV  SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY      ....     122 

XVI.  A  SCENE  FROM  A  TREETOP  .  .  .  .132 

XVII-  THE  BANK  BILLS  ON  THE  TABLE  .  .  .140 

£VIII.  DICK  AND  SAM  BECOME  PRISONERS  .  .  149 

XIX.     PETER  POLL,  THS  DOLT 157 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX.  AN  OFFER  FROM  THE  ENEMY        •       •       •    165 

XXI.  THROUGH  THE  FOREST  .....     174 

XXII.  IN  A  SNAKES'  DEN         •        •        .        •        .     183 

XXIII.  JAMES  MONDAY  TAKES  A  HAND   ,       .        .191 

XXIV.  TOM  CARRIES  A  LETTER        ....     199 
XXV.  IN  WHICH  TOM  is  EXPOSED  ....    207 

XXVI.  TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  ....  214 

XXVII.  THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH  .  .  .222 

XXVIII.  FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHE*.  »  .  230 

XXIX.  ON  THE  TRAIL  ONCE  MORK  .  .  .238 

XXX.  A  ROUND-UP— CONCLUSION  .  .  .  245 


THE  ROVER   BOYS  ON 
THE   PLAINS 

CHAPTER   I 

ON   THE   HOUSEBOAT 

"SAY,  Tom,  what's  that  big  thing  coming  down 
the  river?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  Sam.  It's  big  enough 
to  be  a  house,"  replied  Tom  Rover. 

"Maybe  it  is  a  house,"  came  from  Dick  Rover, 
who  was  standing  beside  his  brothers  on  the  rear 
deck  of  the  houseboat  which  was  taking  them 
down  the  Mississippi  River. 

"A  house?"  broke  in  a  distinctly  German  voice. 
"Did  you  mean  to  said  dere  vos  a  house  floating 
der  rifer  town,  Dick  Rofer?" 

"Why  not,  Hansy,  my  boy?"  replied  fun-loving 
Tom  Rover,  before  his  big  brother  could  answer. 
"Hasn't  a  house  got  a  right  to  take  a  float  if  it 
wants  to?  Perhaps  it's  out  for  its  health." 

"Ach,   you  vos  choking,   Tom!"   cried   Hans 


*     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Mueller.  "Of  a  house  been  der  rifer  on,  dere 
peen  somedings  wrong  mit  him  alretty." 

"It's  a  lumber  raft,  Hans,"  said  Dick.  "And 
a  whopping  big  one,  too,"  he  added,  as  he  took 
another  look  at  the  object  that  was  approaching 
the  houseboat. 

"Hope  it  doesn't  give  us  such  a  close  shave  as 
that  raft  we  met  two  days  ago,"  said  Sam 
anxiously.  "I  was  almost  certain  they  were  going 
to  run  into  us." 

"They  have  got  no  business  to  run  so  close  to 
this  houseboat,"  grumbled  Tom.  "They  know 
well  enough  that  we  can't  turn  out  of  our  course 
very  well.  I  think  some  of  those  lumbermen  are 
the  toughest  kind  of  citizens." 

"If  they  get  too  close,  I'll  shout  a  warning 
through  the  megaphone,"  went  on  Dick,  after  a 
brief  pause.  "It  certainly  does  look  as  if  they 
intended  to  crowd  us,"  he  continued  anxiously. 

"Oh,  Dick,  do  you  think  there  is  any  danger?" 
came  from  a  girl  who  had  just  joined  the  crowd. 

"Not  yet,  Dora." 

!  "Perhaps  we  had  better  run  in  close  to  shore 
until  the  raft  has  passed,"  continued  Dora  Stan 
hope,  with  an  anxious  look  in  her  pretty  eyes. 

"Don't  do  it!"  cried  Tom.  "We  have  as  much 
right  to  the  river  as  they  have.  Tell  'em  to  keep 
their  distance,  Dick." 


ON  THE  HOUSEBOAT  3 

"I  shall — when  they  get  close  enough." 

"If  that  raft  hits  our  houseboat,  we'll  be 
smashed  to  kindling  wood,"  was  Sam's  comment. 
"I'd  rather  they'd  give  us  a  wide  berth." 

The  Rover  brothers  were  three  in  number,  Dick 
being  the  oldest,  fun-loving  Tom  coming  next  and 
Sam  coming  last.  When  at  home,  they  lived  with 
their  father  and  their  uncle  and  aunt  at  Valley 
Brook  Farm,  pleasantly  located  in  the  heart  of 
New  York  State.  From  this  farm  they  had  been 
sent  to  Putnam  Hall,  as  related  in  the  first  volume 
of  this  series,  entitled,  "The  Rover  Boys  at 
School."  At  this  institution  of  learning  they  had 
made  a  large  number  of  friends,  and  also  some 
enemies. 

A  short  term  at  Putnam  Hall  had  been  followed 
by  a  chase  on  the  ocean  and  then  a  trip  to  the 
jungles  of  Africa,  in  search  of  Mr.  Anderson 
Rover,  who  has  disappeared.  Then  came  a  trip 
out  West  and  one  on  the  great  lakes,  followed  by 
some  adventures  during  a  winter  in  the  mountains. 

After  being  in  the  mountains,  the  Rover  boys 
had  expected  to  go  back  to  school,  but  a  scarlet 
fever  scare  closed  the  institution,  and  they  took  a 
trip  to  the  Pacific,  as  related  in  "The  Rover  Boys 
on  Land  and  Sea,"  the  seventh  volume  of  this 
series.  They  were  cast  away  on  an  island  and 


4   .  THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

had  many  thrilling  adventures,  but  escaped,  to  re- 
ceive  a  warm  welcome  when  they  arrived  home. 

The  scarlet  fever  scare  was  now  a  thing  of  the 
past,  and  the  boys  went  back  to  Putnam  Hall,  to 
participate  in  the  annual  encampment,  as  told  of 
in  "The  Rover  Boys  in  Camp."  Here  they  had 
plenty  of  sport,  and  the  outing  was  voted  "the 
best  ever." 

What  to  do  during  the  summer  vacation  was  a 
question  quickly  settled  by  the  brothers.  Their 
uncle,  Randolph  Rover,  had  taken  a  houseboat 
for  debt,  and  it  was  voted  to  go  aboard  this  craft, 
which  was  located  on  the  Ohio  River,  and  take 
a  trip  down  that  stream,  and  also  down  the  mighty 
Mississippi. 

"It  will  be  the  outing  of  our  lives,"  said  Tom. 
"We  can  just  take  it  easy,  and  float,  and  float, 
and  float." 

The  arrangements  for  the  outing  were  quickly 
completed.  With  the  Rover  boys  went  their  old 
school  chums,  "Songbird"  Powell,  who  was  al 
ways  making  up  doggerel  which  he  called  poetry; 
Hans  Mueller,  already  introduced,  and  Fred  Gar 
rison.  The  houseboat  was  a  large  one,  and  to 
make  the  trip  more  pleasant,  the  boys  invited  two 
ladies  to  go  along,  Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Mrs.  Lan- 
ing.  With  Mrs.  Stanhope  came  her  only  daugh- 


ON  THE  HOUSEBOAT  5 

ter,  Dora,  whom  Dick  Rover  thought  the  nicest 
girl  in  the  world,  and  with  Mrs.  Laning  came  her 
daughters,  Nellie  and  Grace,  intimate  friends  of 
Tom  and  Sam. 

As  those  who  have  already  read  "The  Rover 
Boys  on  the  River"  know,  the  trip  on  the  house 
boat  started  pleasantly  enough.  But,  before  long, 
one  of  their  old  enemies,  Dan  Baxter,  turned  up, 
accompanied  by  an  evil-minded  boy  named  Lew 
Flapp.  These  fellows  succeeded  in  making  pris 
oners  of  Dora  Stanhope  and  Nellie  Laning,  and 
ran  off  with  the  houseboat.  But  they  were  fol 
lowed  by  the  Rovers  and  their  friends,  and,  in  the 
end,  the  girls  were  rescued,  the  houseboat  recov 
ered  and  Lew  Flapp  was  made  a  prisoner,  to  be 
sent  East  to  stand  trial  for  his  various  misdeeds. 
Dan  Baxter  escaped,  and  for  the  time  being  there 
was  no  telling  what  had  become  of  him.  But  he 
was  destined  to  show  up  again,  as  the  chapters  to 
follow  will  prove. 

After  the  houseboat  was  once  again  in  the  pos 
session  of  the  Rovers  and  their  guests,  there  was  a 
general  jollification  on  board,  lasting  several  days. 
All  felt  much  relieved,  to  think  that  matters  had 
turned  out  so  well  for  them. 

"We  are  well  out  of  that  mess,"  had  been  Dick 
Rover's  comment. 

"And  I  hope  we  never  get  into  such  another," 


6     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

answered  Dora  Stanhope.  "I  was  really  fright 
ened  to  death  when  I  was  a  prisoner." 

"I  would  feel  a  great  deal  better  if  Dan  Baxter 
had  been  captured." 

"Oh,  Dick,  do  you  think  he  will  try  to  harm 
us  further?"  and  Dora's  face  paled  a  trifle. 

"Well,  he  seems  to  be  like  a  bad  penny — he 
turns  up  when  you  least  expect  it." 

"Anyway,  he  won't  have  Flapp  to  aid  him." 

"That  is  true.  But  I  never  feared  Flapp — he 
was  too  much  of  a  coward  at  heart." 

"Then  you  do  fear  Baxter,  Dick?"  and  Dora 
looked  at  her  best  friend  curiously. 

"It's  not  exactly  that,  Dora.  I  don't  want  you 
to  have  any  trouble.  I  don't  care  for  myself." 

"I  shall  do  my  best  to  keep  out  of  his  way. 
What  a  pity  it  is  that  Baxter  can  not  turn  over  a 
new  leaf." 

"It  isn't  in  him  to  do  so,"  put  in  Fred  Garrison, 
who  had  come  up. 

"But  his  father  has  reformed,"  said  Dora. 

"I  really  think  Dan  is  worse  than  his  father/' 
returned  Dick.  "There  is  a  certain  viciousness 
about  him  that  is  lacking  in  his  father's  make-up." 

"Dan  Baxter  doesn't  believe  in  forgiving  or  for 
getting  an  injury,"  put  in  Sam,  who  had  joined 
the  crowd.  "Once,  after  something  went  wrong, 


ON  THE  HOUSEBOAT  7 

he  said  he'd  get  square  if  it  took  a  hundred  years. 
I  believe  he  remembers  that  injury  yet/' 

"He  might  do  well,  if  he'd  only  settle  down  to 
something,"  said  Fred.  "He  isn't  dumb,  by  any 
means." 

"He  is  not  smart,  only  cunning,  Fred,"  an 
swered  Dick.  "In  regular  business  I  don't  believe 
he'd  ever  make  his  salt." 

"Do  you  think  he  is  still  following  the  house 
boat?"  was  the  question  put  by  Songbird  Powell. 

"I  can't  say  as  to  that.  If  he  is,  he  must  hustle 
pretty  lively,  for  we  are  now  making  a  good 
many  miles  a  day." 

After  this  conversation,  the  days  had  gone  by 
swiftly  and  pleasantly  enough.  Soon  the  broad 
Ohio  River  was  left  behind,  and  the  houseboat 
started  down  the  Mississippi.  Stops  were  made 
at  various  points,  and  the  young  folks,  as  well  as 
the  two  ladies,  enjoyed  themselves  to  the  utmost. 
They  had  a  few  friends  in  the  South,  and,  when 
ever  they  stopped  off  to  see  these,  they  were 
treated  with  great  cordiality. 

"No  more  troubles  of  any  kind  for  us,"  said 
Sam  one  day,  but  he  was  mistaken.  That  very 
afternoon  a  lumber  raft  came  close  to  hitting  the 
houseboat,  frightening  all  who  chanced  to  be  on 
the  deck  at  the  time. 

"Phew !"  was  Tom's  comment.    "No  more  such 


B     THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

close    shaves    for   me.     That    raft    might   have 
smashed  us  to  smithereens!" 

Two  days  went  by,  and  the  boys  and  girls  en 
joyed  themselves  by  going  fishing  and  by  watch 
ing  the  sights  on  the  river  and  along  the  shore. 
The  weather  was  ideal  for  the  outing,  and  they  had 
not  a  care  until  the  second  big  lumber  raft  came 
into  sight,  as  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter,  and  threatened,  as  the  first  had  done,  to 
run  them  down 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   BIG   LUMBER   RAFT 

"Pv  chiminy!  dot  raft  vos  coming  dis  vay  so 
sure  like  nefer  vos !"  cried  Hans  Mueller,  after  an 
anxious  moment  had  passed. 

''We  ought  to  warn  'em  off  with  a  shot-gun," 
growled  Tom.  "Even  if  they  don't  hit  us,  they 
haven't  any  right  to  make  my  hair  stand  up  like 
quills  on  the  fretful  porcupine." 

"Vot  has  der  porkerpint  to  do  mit  your  hair?" 
questioned  Hans  innocently. 

"You'll  soon  find  out — if  that  lumber  raft  hits 
us,  Hansy.  Got  your  life  insured?" 

"Mine  life  insured?" 

"That's  it.  If  you  haven't,  better  take  out  a 
policy  for  'steen  dollars  and  some  cents,  payable 
at  nine  cents  a  week  in  advance." 

"Tom,  this  is  no  joking  matter,"  broke  in  Dick. 
"Be  quiet,  till  I  use  the  megaphone." 

"Dot's  it!"  cried  Hans.  "Use  dot  magnify- 
phone  by  all  means." 

There  was  a  fair-sized  megaphone  on  the  house 
boat,  used  to  call  to  persons  on  shore,  if  necessary, 

9 


io          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and,  bringing  this  out,  the  eldest  Rover  placed  it 
to  his  mouth. 

"On  board  the  lumber  raft !"  he  shouted  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs.  "Sheer  off!  Don't  run  us 
down !" 

"We  are  not  running  you  down,"  was  the  surly 
answer  from  a  man  at  the  front  of  the  raft. 

"Yes,  you  are,  and  we  want  you  to  keep  off." 

"Go  on  in  toward  the  west  shore  and  you  will 
be  all  right,"  said  the  man.  He  was  a  burly  look 
ing  individual,  with  an  unusually  long  nose. 

By  this  time  the  lumber  raft  was  sweeping 
closer.  The  raft  and  the  houseboat  were  mov 
ing  in  the  same  direction,  and  this  kept  them  for 
the  lime  being  apart. 

"If  you  don't  keep  off,  there  will  be  trouble," 
cried  Sam. 

"Oh,  you  boys  dry  up !"  was  the  reply  from  the 
man  with  the  long  nose,  and  now  they  recognized 
him  as  a  fellow  they  had  met  in  a  hotel  at  their 
last  stopping  place.  The  man  had  had  a  row  with 
a  porter,  and  had  made  himself  generally 
disagreeable. 

The  houseboat  was  under  the  immediate  com 
mand  of  Captain  Starr.  The  captain,  a  rather 
strange  individual,  was  not  feeling  very  well,  and 
had  gone  off  to  take  a  nap.  Now  it  was  thought 
best  by  all  to  call  him. 


THE  BIG  LUMBER  RAFT  n 

"The  overgrown  wood-choppers !"  growled  the 
captain  as  soon  as  he  had  come  out  on  deck  and 
taken  in  the  situation.  "Sheer  off!"  he  yelled. 
"Do  you  hear?" 

"Turn  in  toward  shore,"  was  the  answering 
cry. 

"We  can't— it's  too  shallow." 

''Is  it  really  too  shallow?"  asked  Dick. 

"I  think  so.    We  are  not  in  the  channel  as  it  is." 

"I'm  going  to  get  a  gun,"  came  from  Tom,  and 
off  he  rushed  to  secure  the  firearm. 

The  raft  had  now  swept  so  close  that  several 
on  board  could  be  seen  plainly.  They  were  a 
rough-looking  sort,  and  the  man  with  the  long 
nose  was  the  shrewdest  of  the  lot. 

"We'll  have  to  turn  in,  or  we'll  be  hit!"  ejacu 
lated  Sam.  "Those  side  logs  are  bound  to  strike 
the  cabin!" 

He  pointed  to  some  timbers  that  projected  over 
the  edge  of  the  raft.  They  were  only  a  few  feet 
off  and  might  crash  into  the  cabin  of  the  house 
boat  at  any  moment. 

In  anger  at  being  forced  to  change  his  course, 
Captain  Starr  turned  the  houseboat  toward  the 
bank  of  the  river.  Then  the  big  raft  began  to 
pass  them,  just  as  Tom  reappeared,  shotgun  in 
hand. 

"I  ought  to  have  you  arrested  for  this !"  stormed 


12    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Captain  Starr.  His  words  were  always  louder 
than  his  actions. 

"Bah !"  answered  the  man  with  the  long  nose, 
in  derision. 

"Maybe  you'd  like  to  have  a  taste  of  this?"  put 
in  Tom,  holding  up  the  gun. 

"Don't  you  dare  to  shoot !"  yelled  the  man,  and 
lost  no  time  in  sliding  from  his  seat  and  out  of 
sight. 

At  that  moment  those  on  the  houseboat  felt  a 
slight  shock,  and  then  the  craft's  headway  was 
checked. 

"What's  up  now?"  cried  Dick. 

"We're  aground,  that's  what's  the  matter," 
muttered  Captain  Starr.  "Those  rascals  ought  to 
suffer  for  this!" 

In  a  moment  more  the  big  raft  had  passed  the 
houseboat.  The  latter  now  began  to  swing  around 
with  the  current. 

"I  hope  we  are  not  stuck  in  the  mud  for  good," 
grumbled  Fred  Garrison. 

"Look !  look !"  burst  from  Sam's  lips.  He  was 
j  pointing  to  the  raft. 

"What's  up  now?"  came  from  several  of  the 
others. 

"Unless  I  am  mistaken,  Dan  Baxter  is  on  that 
raft." 

"Baxter!"  exclaimed  Tom. 


THE  BIG  LUMBER  RAFT  13 

"Yes." 

"Where?" 

"He  was  sitting  on  that  pile  of  boards  in  the 
rear.  As  soon  as  he  saw  me,  he  slid  out  of  sight." 

"Are  you  sure  it  was  Baxter?"  questioned 
Songbird  Powell. 

"If  it  wasn't  him,  it  was  his  double." 

"If  it  was  Baxter,  we  ought  to  try  to  catch 
him/'  suggested  Fred. 

"I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  catch  any 
body  just  now,"  sighed  Dick.  "We  are  stuck  hard 
and  fast." 

"Oh,  Dick,  are  we  really  aground  ?"  questioned 
Dora. 

"We  are  that,"  said  Captain  Starr. 

"Is  there  any  danger?"  asked  Nellie  Laning, 
who  had  joined  the  others,  accompanied  by  her 
sister  Grace. 

"No  immediate  danger,  miss.  It  depends  on 
whether  we  can  get  off  or  not." 

"We'll  have  to  get  off,"  said  Tom  decidedly. 

"Rub  a  dub  dub! 
We're  stuck  in  the  mud 

As  hard  as  hard  can  be! 
Shall  we  ever, 
Or  shall  we  never, 

Set  the  houseboat  free?" 

eatne  softly  from  Songbird  Powell. 


I4         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Great  Caesar,  that's  a  fine  thing  to  make  a 
rhyme  about,"  returned  Sam  reproachfully. 

"Let's  make  Songbird  wade  out  in  the  mud  and 
shove  us  off,"  suggested  Tom,  with  a  wink  at  his 
companions. 

"Wade  out  in  the  mud?"  cried  the  youth  who 
was  given  to  rhymes.  "Not  much !" 

"Mud  bath  is  the  finest  thing  in  the  world, 
Songbird,"  went  on  Tom.  "Bound  to  cure  hay 
fever,  warts,  squint-eye  and  lots  of  things." 

"Then  you  go  take  it  yourself,"  murmured 
Songbird. 

"We'll  have  to  get  out  the  rowboat  and  see  if 
we  can't  pull  her  off,"  said  Captain  Starr. 

"Yes,  and  the  sooner  the  better,"  said  Dick.  "If 
we  wait,  we  may  get  harder  aground  than  ever." 

It  did  not  take  long  to  let  the  rowboat  over  the 
side  of  the  Dora,  as  the  houseboat  was  named. 
Then  Dick,  Sam,  Tom  and  Fred  got  in  to  do  the 
rowing,  while  the  others  remained  on  the  house 
boat,  to  try  what  they  could  do  toward  poling  off. 
A  line  was  made  fast  between  the  rowboat  and  the 
Dora,  and  the  boys  began  to  pull  away  with  might 
and  main. 

"Is  she  moving?"  asked  Dick,  after  several 
minutes  of  hard  pulling. 

"Not  yet,"  answered  Captain  Starr.  "Keep 
at  it,  though." 


THE  BIG  LUMBER  RAFT  15 

"Let  us  shift  some  of  the  heavy  things  on 
board,"  suggested  Songbird,  and  this  was  done. 
Then  the  boys  rowed  with  all  their  might  and 
those  on  the  houseboat  used  their  poles  to  the  best 
advantage. 

"Hurrah!  she  vos  coming!"  shouted  Hans. 
"Dot's  der  time  vot  you  did  sometings,  ain't  it!" 

"Keep  at  it,  boys!"  came  from  the  captain. 
"We'll  be  all  right  in  a  few  minutes  more." 

"Mind  you,  we  don't  want  to  tow  the  houseboat 
down  to  New  Orleans,"  said  Tom,  who  was  per 
spiring  freely  in  the  warm  sun. 

"There  she  goes !"  came  a  moment  later.  "We 
are  all  right  now,"  and  a  little  hurrah  went  up. 

"I  wish  I  had  those  lumbermen  here — I'd  give 
'em  a  bit  of  my  mind,"  said  Sam,  who  felt  tired 
out  from  the  hard  rowing.  "It  was  all  their 
fault." 

"Of  course,  it  was  their  fault,"  answered  Dick. 
"More  than  likely,  though,  we'll  never  meet  them 
again." 

"What  an  awfully  long  nose  one  of  them  had." 

"I  don't  believe  that  fellow  was  a  lumberman.  • 
He  wasn't  dressed  like  the  others  and  didn't  act 
like  them." 

The  rowboat  was  soon  placed  aboard  of  the 
houseboat  once  more,  and  the  Dora  continued 
on  her  course  down  the  river.  All  told,  a  half 


16          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

hour  had  been  lost,  and  the  lumber  raft  wa3 
scarcely  a  speck  in  the  distance. 

"I'd  like  to  know  for  certain  if  that  was  Dan 
Baxter  on  board,"  said  Dick  to  Sam.  "If  it  was, 
and  he  saw  us,  he'll  do  his  best  to  make  trouble 
again." 

"Well,  the  best  we  can  do,  Dick,  is  to  keep  our 
eyes  open." 

"Do  you  think  that  lumber  raft  will  tie  up 
somewhere  below  here  ?"  asked  Tom. 

"The  raft  is  certain  to  tie  up  somewhere,  Tom. 
But  it  may  go  a  good  many  miles  before  that  hap 
pens,"  answered  the  eldest  Rover;  and  there  the 
subject  was  for  the  time  being  dropped. 


CHAPTER    III 


A  "PEPPER"  GHOST 


MRS.  STANHOPE  and  Mrs.  Laning  had  been 
taking  a  nap,  and  they  were  much  interested  when 
they  awoke  and  learned  of  what  had  occurred. 

"Let  us  be  thankful  that  the  raft  did  not  run 
us  down,"  said  Dora's  mother,  who  was  a  widow. 

"It  was  mean  to  make  us  run  aground,"  was 
Mrs.  Laning's  comment.  "Some  folks  try  their 
best  to  get  others  into  trouble." 

"That  fellow  with  the  long  nose  got  out  of 
sight  in  a  hurry  when  he  saw  the  shotgun,"  ob 
served  Tom. 

"Oh,  Tom,  you  wouldn't  have  shot  him,  would 
you?"  cried  Nellie. 

"I  only  meant  to  scare  him.  But,  if  they  had 
really  run  us  down,  I  don't  know  what  I  would 
have  done." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  the  lumber  raft 
passed  entirely  out  of  their  sight.  Gradually  the 
talk  changed,  and  all  began  to  wonder  where  they 
were  to  tie  up  for  the  night. 

"I  did  hope  to  reach  Masterville,"  said  Captain 
Starr.  "But  I  don't  think  we  can  make  it." 

17 


18    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Do  we  need  anything1  in  particular  in  the  shape 
of  provisions?"  asked  Dick. 

"I  don't  think  so.    You  might  ask  Aleck." 

The  person  referred  to  was  a  colored  man  who 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  Rovers,  and  had  been 
with  the  boys  on  many  of  their  outings.  His  full 
name  was  Alexander  Pop,  and  he  thought  the 
world  and  all  of  Dick,  Tom  and  Sam. 

"Hullo,  Aleck !"  called  out  Dick,  going  to  the 
cook's  galley. 

"Yes,  sah !  Comin',  sah !"  was  the  answer,  and 
in  an  instant  Aleck's  smiling  ebony  face  showed 
itself  at  the  doorway. 

"Have  we  got  enough  provisions  on  hand  until 
to-morrow?" 

"Yes,  sah." 

"Then  we  won't  have  to  go  ashore  for 
anything?" 

"No,  sah ;  less  yo'  want  sumfing  very  special/' 
and  the  colored  man  grinned. 

"Are  you  going  to  give  us  a  pretty  good  supper, 
Aleck?"  asked  Tom,  walking  up. 

"Lamb  chops,  sah,  an'  green  peas,  sweet  pota 
toes,  an'  cake  an'  cut-up  peaches." 

"That's  first-rate,  Aleck,"  said  Dick,  smiling. 

"Any  quail  on  toast?"  asked  Tom. 

"No,  sah." 

"Any  bear  steaks,  or  salmon  eggs?" 


A  "PEPPER"  GHOST  19 

"Ain't  seen  none  ob  dem  t'ings  yet,  Massa 
Tom." 

"How  about  butterflies'  wings  on  toast?" 

"Wha— what's  dat?" 

"Or  milkweed  stewed  in  onion  fat?"  went  on 
Tom  earnestly. 

"Gracious  sakes  alive,  sah!  I  didn't  know 
dat " 

"Or  firefly  fritters,  Aleck.  Don't  you  love  fire 
fly  fritters,  especially  when  they  are  rolled  in 
lemon  skin  and  cheese?" 

"Say,  Massa  Tom,  ain't  you  a-foolin'  <fis 
darkey?" 

"Fooling?  Why,  Aleck,  you  know  I  never 
fool."  Tom  gave  a  sigh.  "That's  the  way  of 
the  world,  when  a  fellow  is  trying  to  do  his  best." 
And  he  walked  off,  leaving  the  faithful  Aleck 
staring  after  him  doubtfully.  But  soon  the  col 
ored  man  began  to  smile  to  himself. 

"Dat's  some  moah  ob  his  jokes,  dat's  what  dat 
is,"  he  murmured.  "Dat  boy  couldn't  lib,  'less  he 
was  playin'  a  joke  on  sumbody!" 

The  houseboat  had  now  gained  a  portion  of 
the  river  where  the  shore  was  lined  with  a  beauti 
ful  forest,  and,  as  the  sun  began  to  set  over  the 
treetops,  all  came  out  on  the  deck  to  enjoy  the 
scene. 

"If  it  wasn't  for  the  troubles  we  have  en* 


ao         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

countered,  this  would  be  an  ideal  trip,"  said  Dora, 
as  she  stood  by  Dick's  side. 

"Let  us  forget  the  troubles,  Dora,"  said  the 
youth  softly,  and  gave  her  hand  a  little  squeeze. 
"I  am  so  glad  you  are  with  us.  If  you  weren't,  I 
think  it  would  be  rather  lonely  for  me." 

"Oh,  Dick,  you  mustn't  talk  so,"  cried  the  girl, 
and  blushed.  But  she  was  pleased,  nevertheless. 

Just  where  the  forest  ended  there  was  a  point 
of  land  stretching  out  into  the  river,  and  there 
it  was  decided  to  tie  up  for  the  night.  An  early 
supper  was  had,  and  then  about  half  of  the  party 
went  ashore — Dick  and  Dora  to  take  a  stroll  in 
the  moonlight,  and  Tom,  Sam  and  some  of  the 
others  to  do  a  little  exploring. 

'The  forest  looks  a  little  bit  spooky,"  said 
Fred,  as  they  walked  along. 

"Spooky?"  came  scornfully  from  Songbird 
Powell.  "Why,  it's  grand — fairly  breathing  the 
essence  of  poetry,"  and  then  he  continued: 

"Down  in  the  depths  of  a  forest  grand, 
Where  many  a  hoary  tree  doth  stand, 
And  many  a  little  babbling  brook 
Gives  music  to  each  shady  nook, 
Tis  there  I  love  a  walk  to  take * 

"And  step  upon  a  rattlesnake." 

finished   Tom.     "Better   keep   your   eyes   open, 


A  "PEPPER''  GHOST  21 

Songbird,  or  the  rattlers  will  be  after  you.  They 
love  music  and  poetry,  you  know." 

"Rattlesnakes!  Horrible!"  shuddered  Song- 
bird.  "That's  enough  to  drive  the  poetry  out  of 
a  fellow  for  a  week." 

"Do  you  think  there  are  any  rattlers  here?" 
asked  Sam. 

"I  ton't  vos  afraid  of  raddlesnakes  alretty,"  put 
in  Hans.  "I  vos  know  a  fine  vay  to  kill  dem,"  and 
his  mild  eyes  began  to  twinkle. 

"What's  the  way,  Hans?"  asked  Tom. 

"First,  you  got  some  poison  in  a  pottle.** 

"Yes." 

"Den  you  go  py  der  voots  till  you  come  py  Mr. 
Raddlesnake." 

"All  right,  proceed." 

"Den  you  got  dot  Mr.  Raddlesnake  py  der  neck, 
oben  his  mouth  und  put  der  boison  on  der  insides. 
In  an  hour,  Mr.  Raddlesnake  vos  so  dead  like 
nefer  vos  alretty." 

"Sold!  That's  the  time  Hans  caught  you, 
Tom !"  exclaimed  Sam,  and  set  up  a  roar. 

"Yah,  I  vos  chust  vaiting  to  cotch  you,  Tom/* 
and  now  the  German  youth  joined  in  the  hilarity. 

"All  right,  that's  one  on  me,"  said  Tom.  "My 
move  next,"  he  added,  but  under  his  breath. 

"There's  a  rattlesnake  now!"  yelled  Fred  a 
moment  later,  and  all  gave  a  jump,  Hans  as  lively 


92    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

as  the  rest.  But  it  was  only  a  small  reptile,  and 
harmless,  and  quickly  disappeared  from  view. 

In  a  clearing,  the  boys  built  a  fire,  and  sat 
around  this,  telling  stories  and  talking  over  the 
events  of  the  day. 

From  one  thing  and  another  the  conversation 
gradually  drifted  around  to  ghosts,  and  Fred  told 
a  ghost  story  that  was  thrilling  in  the  extreme. 

"Don't  you  believe  in  ghosts,  Hans?"  ques 
tioned  Sam. 

"Not  much,  I  ton't,"  answered  the  German 
youth.  "Da  vos  all  humbugs  alretty." 

"Then  you  wouldn't  run  if  you  saw  a  ghost?" 
queried  Songbird. 

"Not  von  sthep,"  said  Hans  positively. 

This  talk  set  Tom  to  thinking,  and  on  the  way 
back  to  the  houseboat  he  called  Sam  to  his  side. 

"I've  got  an  idea." 

"What  is  it?"  questioned  his  brother. 

"You  heard  what  Hans  said  about  ghosts?" 

"To  be  sure  I  did." 

"Well,  I've  got  an  idea  for  some  fun." 

"Good  for  you,  Tom." 

"We'll  fix  up  a  ghost." 

"Oh,  that's  old." 

"So  it  is;  but  this  particular  kind  of  ghost 
isn't  old." 

"What  is  it  to  be?" 


A  "PEPPER"  GHOST  23 

"One  full  of  pepper. " 

"Pepper?" 

"Exactly.  And  when  Hans  hammers  it — why, 
look  out,  that's  all." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  Sam  readily  fell  in  with  his  brother's  ideas. 
Reaching  the  houseboat,  the  pair  went  to  one  of 
the  staterooms  and  procured  a  sheet  and  a  bolster. 

Then  Tom  ran  off  to  the  galley  and  obtained  a 
box  full  of  pepper.  The  pepper  was  sprinkled 
over  the  sheet  and  the  bolster. 

"Now,  we'll  take  the  outfit  to  Hans'  room," 
said  Tom,  and  this  was  done  without  the  German 
youth  being  aware  of  what  was  taking  place. 

The  others  were  then  let  into  the  plot,  and  just 
before  retiring  Tom  called  Hans  to  one  side. 

"Hans,  I  want  to  give  you  a  tip,"  he  whispered 
tragically. 

"Vot  for?" 

"Some  of  the  fellows  are  going  to  scare  you. 
They  have  fixed  up  a  ghost  in  your  room." 

"Is  dot  so?" 

"When  you  go  to  bed,  don't  be  frightened." 
/    "Not  much  I  von't  pe,  Tom.     Maype  I  vos 
hammer  dot  ghost,  hey?" 

"That's  the  talk.  Take  a  switch  along  and  lock 
your  door.  Then  you  can  switch  the  ghost  good/' 


24          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Ha!  ha!  dot's  a  goot  blan,"  roared  the  Ger 
man  youth.  "Maype  somepody  ton't  cotch  him !" 

A  few  minutes  after  that,  the  boys  and  the 
others  separated  for  the  night,  and  Hans  retired 
to  his  own  stateroom. 

As  it  was  bright  moonlight,  no  lights  had  been 
lit,  nor  did  the  German  youth  make  any. 

Tom  had  deceived  him  completely,  and  behind 
his  back  he  carried  a  heavy  switch.  He  intended 
to  "lather"  the  ghost  good  before  giving  the  joker, 
whoever  he  might  be,  a  chance  to  get  away. 

As  he  closed  the  door,  he  caught  sight  of  some 
thing  white  and  ghost-like  standing  near  the  head 
of  his  berth.  He  shut  the  door  softly  and 
locked  it. 

"Oh,  my!"  he  cried.  "A  ghost !  a  ghost !"  And 
then  he  raised  his  switch  and  brought  it  down  on 
the  white  object  with  all  his  might.  Blow  after 
blow  was  delivered  in  rapid  succession,  for  he 
wanted  to  get  in  as  many  cracks  as  possible  before 
the  joker  should  expose  himself. 

"Dere  you  vos,  you  pad  ghost!"  he  cried.  "I 
dink  you  vos " 

At  this  point  Hans  stopped  short.  Something 
had  entered  his  nose — something  that  tickled 
exceedingly. 

"Ker-chew!  ker-chew!"  he  sneezed.  "Vot  is — 
ker-chew!  I  dink — ker-chew!  Oh,  my!  Ker- 


A  "PEPPER"  GHOST  25 

chew!  I  vos  schneeze  mine  head — ker-chew! 
Stop  dot,  somepody — ker-chew !  Oh,  dear — ker- 
chew !  Oben  der  door — ker-chew !" 

Blinded,  and  sneezing-  violently,  Hans  dropped 
his  switch  and  made  for  the  door.  Throwing  it 
wide  open,  he  ran  out  to  get  some  pure  air,  for  the 
stateroom  was  filled  with  floating  pepper. 

"I  fix  somepody  for  dis — ker-chew !"  he  roared. 
"Chust  vait,  you  chokers !" 

Then  he  caught  sight  of  Tom,  who  stood 
nearby,  grinning. 

"Dot  vos  your  drick !"  he  went  on.  "Chust  you 
come  here !" 

"Thank  you,  not  to-night,  Hansy,  my  dear 
boy,"  said  the  joker,  keeping  at  a  safe  distance. 

"Veil,  den,  you  go  'long  mit  your  old  ghost," 
went  on  Hans,  and,  picking  up  the  peppered  bol 
ster  and  sheet,  he  threw  them  into  Tom's  room, 
where  the  fun-loving  youth  had  the  pleasure  of 
disposing  of  the  mess  as  best  he  could. 


CHAPTER    IV 

TROUBLE   WITH    NEGROES 

"THE  rolling,  the  rolling, 

The  rolling  river  for  me! 
The  rolling  river,  the  rolling  river, 
That  carries  us  down  to  the  sea!" 

So  sang  Songbird  Powell  the  next  morning1 
when  he  came  out  on  deck  after  a  refreshing 
night's  rest. 

"Songbird,  you're  a  regular  lark,"  remarked 
Dick. 

"I  feel  like  one,"  was  the  answer.  "Who 
wouldn't  feel  good  on  such  a  glorious  morning  as 
this?" 

"Maype  you  didn't  haf  some  ghosts  drouble 
you  ?"  put  in  Hans  with  a  grin. 

"Forget  it,  Hans,"  answered  Dick.  "It's  too 
fine  a  morning  to  think  of  ghosts." 

It  was  indeed  a  glorious  morning,  clear  and 
balmy.  The  ladies  of  the  party  were  much 
pleased,  and  so  were  the  girls.  All  gathered  on 
the  deck  to  take  in  the  sights  before  breakfast  was 
announced  by  Aleck. 

36 


TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES        27 

A  big  schooner  was  passing  with  all  sails  set, 
and,  not  long  after  this,  a  large  steamer,  bound 
up  the  Mississippi,  hove  into  sight. 

"Now,  we'll  get  some  big  swells,"  remarked 
Sam,  and  he  was  right.  Soon  the  houseboat  be 
gan  to  rock  in  a  fashion  that  pleased  the  boys,  but 
alarmed  the  girls. 

"When  the  houseboat  rocks  like  that,  I'm  al 
ways  afraid  we'll  be  swamped,"  said  Grace. 

"There  is  little  danger  of  that,"  said  Captain 
Starr.  "The  wash  would  have  to  be  much  heavier 
before  it  could  do  any  damage." 

The  morning  passed  pleasantly  enough.  The 
ladies  spent  the  time  over  their  fancy  work,  while 
the  girls  and  boys  read,  played  games  and  also 
sang  and  played.  There  was  a  piano  on  the  Dora, 
and  the  boys  had  a  guitar  and  a  banjo  along. 

They  were  at  dinner  and  discussing  their  next 
stopping  place,  when,  without  warning,  there 
came  a  shock  that  threw  Aleck  flat  on  the  floor, 
with  a  trayful  of  cup-custards  over  him. 

"Fo'  de  Ian'  sake!"  gasped  the  colored  man. 
"Has  we  struck  a  stone  wall  ?" 

"Whow !"  ejaculated  Fred,  who  had  had  some 
hot  coffee  spilled  on  his  knee.  "This  isn't  pleas 
ant,  I  can  tell  you." 

Dick  was  already  running  on  deck,  and  the 
others  followed.  They  saw  that  Captain  Starr's 


18          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

face  was  full  of  concern.  Not  another  craft  of 
any  kind  was  in  sight,  and  they  were  a  good  two 
hundred  feet  from  shore. 

''Didn't  we  strike  something,  Captain?"  asked 
the  eldest  Rover. 

"Reckon  we  did,  sir/'  was  the  answer. 

"What?" 

"A  sunken  tree,  most  likely.  They  are  the 
worst  things  to  £e  met  with  on  the  Mississippi. 
More  than  one  boat  has  been  sunk  by  a  hidden 
tree  trunk." 

"Did  the  snag  poke  a  hole  into  us?"  asked  Tom. 
"If  it  did,  we  had  better  make  for  shore." 

"I'll  look  around  and  see,"  said  the  captain, 
and  did  so,  accompanied  by  the  boys  and  Aleck. 
For  the  time  being,  dinner  was  forgotten. 

Fortunately,  no  great  damage  had  been  done. 
One  side  board  had  been  loosened,  but  this  was 
easily  nailed  tight,  and  then  the  houseboat  pro 
ceeded  on  her  way  as  before. 

"I've  heard  of  boats  being  wrecked  by  these 
snags,"  said  Songbird. 

"One  boat  I  was  on,  some  fifteen  years  ago, 
was  wrecked  that  way,"  said  Captain  Starr.  "She 
was  running  at  full  speed,  when  we  struck  a  big 
tree  that  had  rather  a  sharp  point.  The  point 
ran  through  into  the  cabin  and  killed  two  people, 
and  the  boat  sank  in  ten  minutes." 


TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES        29 

"Excuse  me  from  such  a  disaster  as  that,"  was 
Fred's  comment,  while  Nellie,  who  had  heard  the 
story,  shuddered. 

That  evening,  they  tied  up  close  to  the  village  of 
Canston.  Not  far  south  was  a  large  plantation, 
employing  a  great  number  of  negroes,  and  some 
of  these  came  down  to  take  a  look  at  the  house 
boat. 

As  soon  as  the  Dora  was  tied  up,  Captain  Starr 
made  a  thorough  examination  of  the  craft,  to 
make  certain  that  she  had  received  no  injury  be 
low  the  water-line.  Dick  accompanied  him,  and 
so  did  Songbird. 

"She  is  O.  K.,"  announced  the  captain.  "There 
isn't  a  leak  as  big  as  a  flea  anywhere." 

Aleck,  Tom  and  Sam  went  down  into  the  vil 
lage  to  procure  some  stores  for  the  houseboat,  and 
while  there  learned  that  there  had  been  a  row  at 
the  plantation  and  two  negroes  had  been  seriously 
hurt.  As  a  consequence  of  the  quarrel,  one  burly 
negro  called  Watermelon  Pete  had  run  away. 

"He's  a  bad  egg,  that  Watermelon  Pete,"  said 
the  storekeeper  in  speaking  of  the  affair.  "I  wish 
he'd  leave  this  locality  for  good." 

When  the  boys  got  back  to  the  houseboat,  they 
found  the  others  hunting  all  over  the  Dora  with 
lanterns. 

"What  are  you  looking  for?"  asked  Tom. 


30          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Grace  thinks  she  saw  a  big  negro  come  on 
board,"  answered  Dick.  "We  are  trying  to  root 
him  out." 

The  houseboat  was  searched  from  end  to  end, 
but  nothing  could  be  discovered  of  any  intruder. 

"Must  have  sneaked  off  again,"  said  Sam.  "If 
he  did,  I  hope  he  didn't  steal  anything." 

"We'll  keep  our  eyes  open  after  this,"  said 
Captain  Starr. 

The  night  passed  quietly  enough,  but,  for  some 
reason  she  could  not  explain,  Grace  awoke  long 
before  the  others.  She  tried  to  go  to  sleep  again, 
but,  finding  that  a  failure,  dressed  and  went  out 
on  the  deck. 

She  had  been  out  only  a  few  minutes,  when,  on 
walking  past  the  dining-room  window,  she  saw  a 
sight  that  filled  her  with  amazement.  By  the 
closet  was  a  burly  negro,  filling  a  carpetbag  with 
silverware ! 

"Oh !"  she  cried.    "Stop  that!" 

At  the  sound  of  her  voice,  the  burly  negro 
turned  and  scowled  viciously  at  her. 

"Yo'  dun  keep  quiet !"  he  said  in  a  low,  intense 
yoice. 

"I  shall  not,"  answered  Grace.  "Help,  some 
body!"  she  called. 

"Hush  up,  yo' !"  fairly  hissed  the  burly  intruder, 
and  sprang  for  the  doorway.  In  another  moment 


TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES  31 

he  had  Grace  by  the  arm.  "Don't  yo'  make  anud- 
der  sound,  or  yo'll  git  sumfing  yo'  won't  lak!" 

"Oh !"  gasped  the  poor  girl.  She  wanted  to  say 
more,  but  the  words  stuck  in  her  throat.  The 
negro  still  held  her,  and  his  grasp  was  like  that 
of  steel. 

"Are  yo'  gwine  to  shut  up?"  asked  the  intruder. 

"Le — let  me  go,  please !" 

"Ain't  gwine  to  let  yer  go.  Be  still  now, 
heah?" 

Grace  did  hear,  and,  as  the  negro  glowered  at 
her,  her  heart  almost  stopped  beating.  She  gazed 
around,  and  so  did  the  negro.  Not  another  person 
was  in  sight. 

"Come  into  de  room,"  went  on  the  negro  after 
a  painful  pause,  and  he  literally  dragged  her  for 
ward  to  the  door.  "If  yo'  be  still,  yo'  won't  git 
hurt." 

Holding  her  with  one  hand,  he  continued  to 
fill  his  carpetbag  with  the  other.  Spoons,  knives 
and  forks  were  rapidly  stowed  away,  and  they 
were  followed  by  some  napkin  rings  and  other 
articles  of  value. 

As  the  negro  worked,  Grace  recovered  some  of 
her  self-possession.  She  did  not  dare  to  cry  out, 
and  tried  to  think  of  some  other  method  of  arous 
ing  the  others  on  the  boat.  Her  eyes  fell  upon  a 


32          'idE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

bell  pull  hanging  from  the  wall  and,  on  the  sly,  she 
gave  it  a  violent  jerk. 

The  rope  connected  with  a  bell  in  the  cook's 
galley.  This  was  close  to  where  Aleck  was  sleep 
ing,  and  it  caused  the  cook  to  arouse  with  a  start. 

"Dis  chile  mus'  hab  done  overslept  hisself,"  he 
exclaimed,  and  then,  as  the  bell  rang  once  more, 
he  sprang  up  in  a  hurry.  "Sumt'ing  wrong,  dat's 
suah  as  yo're  boahn !" 

Throwing  himself  into  some  of  his  clothing,  he 
ran  out  on  deck  and  to  the  dining-room.  One 
glance  was  enough,  and  he  raised  a  shout  which 
aroused  everybody  on  the  houseboat. 

The  shout  told  the  intruder  that  his  game  was 
up,  and,  carpetbag  in  hand,  he  started  to  run 
away.  But  Aleck  put  out  his  foot,  and  the  other 
negro  went  sprawling  at  full  length. 

"Yo'  stay  right  dar!"  roared  Aleck  Pop  wrath- 
fully.  "Don't  yo'  'tempt  to  git  away,  nohow,  'less 
yo'  want  to  go  to  yo'  own  funeral." 

"Yo'  ain't  gwine  ter  stop  me!"  yelled  the  thief, 
and  sprang  up,  hurling  the  cook  to  one  side.  Then 
he  started  for  the  shore. 

By  this  time  Sam  was  coming  out  of  his  state 
room.  He  saw  the  fleeing  negro  and  made  after 
him,  catching  the  rascal  just  as  he  was  about  to 
leap  ashore. 


TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES  33 

"Not  so  fast !"  he  sang  out,  and  caught  him  by 
the  arm. 

" Yo'  can't  hole  me !"  stormed  the  burly  fellow, 
and  tried  to  twist  himself  loose.  But,  before  he 
could  break  away,  Captain  Starr  was  at  hand, 
quickly  followed  by  Tom  and  Hans. 

"Vot's  der  madder,  vos  he  a  robber?"  asked 
Hans.  "Schoot  him  der  sphot  on !" 

"Git  back,  dar,  I'se  a  dangerous  coon!"  ejacu 
lated  the  burly  negro,  and  suddenly  produced  a 
big  revolver  of  the  old  civil  war  kind.  "Don't 
dare  lay  han's  on  me  ag'in !  " 

At  the  sight  of  the  pistol,  all  fell  back,  and  in  a 
twinkling  the  negro  was  over  the  side  and  running 
for  the  nearest  patch  of  woods. 

"Let  us  go  after  him,"  said  Dick,  and  the  others 
agreed.  But  pursuit  was  useless,  the  burly  negro 
was  gone.  Later  they  learned  that  he  was  Wa 
termelon  Pete,  the  rascal  who  had  gotten  into  a 
row  at  the  nearby  plantation. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Grace?"  was  Sam's  first  ques 
tion  after  the  chase  had  come  to  an  end. 

"No,  but  that  colored  man  nearly  scared  the 
life  out  of  me,"  she  answered,  and  then  told  her 
story. 

"I  wonder  if  we'll  ever  see  him  again,"  said 
Fred. 

"Most  likely  not,"   answered   Dick.     But  he 


34         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

was  mistaken.  He  was  to  meet  Watermelon  Pete, 
and  wrier  circumstances  as  surprising  as  any  that 
he  had  yet  encountered. 

"Well,  there  is  one  satisfaction,"  remarked 
Songbird.  "He  didn't  get  away  with  any  of  the 
stuff. " 

"No,  but  he  mussed  de  dinin'-room  all  up!" 
growled  Aleck.  "An'  dat  silber  has  got  to  be 
shined  up  ag'in  befoah  we  kin  use  it." 

During  the  day,  several  half-intoxicated  col 
ored  men  came  on  board  of  the  Dora  and  made  it 
decidedly  unpleasant  for  all  hands. 

"We  may  as  well  get  out  of  here,"  said  Dick, 
and  the  others  agreed  with  him. 

Two  negroes  were  on  board  at  the  time,  and 
Captain  Starr  ordered  them  ashore. 

"Give  us  some  rum,  an'  we'll  go,"  answered 
one  of  them  impudently. 

"You're  going,  and  without  any  rum!"  cried 
Dick  wrathfully,  and  ran  the  colored  man  to  the 
gangplank.  Sam  and  Tom  caught  hold  of  the 
other  colored  man  and  did  likewise. 

"Let  go  ob  me !"  roared  one  of  the  fellows,  and 
then  both  of  them  began  to  struggle  and  use 
language  not  fit  for  polite  ears  to  hear. 

"Dump  them  into  the  river — the  bath  will  do 
them  good,"  suggested  Songbird,  and  in  a  trice 
this  was  accomplished,  and  both  went  down  with 


TROUBLE  WITH  NEGROES  35 

a  loud  splash.  By  the  time  they  had  managed  to 
crawl  to  the  shore  through  the  mud,  the  houseboat 
was  a  good  distance  out  into  the  stream.  The 
negroes  shouted  and  shook  their  fists,  but  the 
Rovers  and  their  friends,  and  even  Aleck,  laughed 
at  them. 

"Dem  fool  niggers  don't  know  nuffin'," 
growled  the  cook.  "I'se  'shamed  ob  'em,  I  is !" 

"Perhaps  they  won't  be  so  fresh  when  another 
houseboat  comes  along,"  said  Fred. 

"Or  else  they'll  do  their  best  to  get  square,"  put 
in  Tom. 

The  journey  down  the  river  was  continued,  and 
soon  the  plantation  and  the  village  were  left  far 
in  the  distance. 


CHAPTER   V 

DAN    BAXTER    APPEARS 

Two  days  later  found  the  houseboat  moored 
to  one  of  the  docks  at  a  small  city  in  Arkansas.  It 
was  a  bustling  place  of  perhaps  four  thousand  in 
habitants  and  commanded  a  fair  river  trade. 

The  whole  party  was  willing  enough  to  go 
ashore,  and  the  Rover  boys  hired  several  carriages, 
in  which  all  were  driven  around  to  various  points 
of  interest. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I  wouldn't  mind  doing,"  said 
Sam,  while  driving  around.  "I'd  like  to  get  on 
horseback  and  take  a  trip  out  on  the  plains." 

"Perhaps  we  can  do  that  before  this  trip  comes 
to  an  end,"  answered  Dick.  "You  must  remem 
ber,  we  have  a  good  part  of  our  outing  before  us.'* 

There  was  a  parade  in  the  town  that  day,  and 
they  watched  this  with  interest.  Then  the  girls 
and  the  ladies  went  back  to  the  houseboat,  leaving 
the  boys  to  continue  their  rambles. 

"I  see  some  lumber  rafts  here,"  said  Sam.  "I 
wonder  if  that  one  stopped  here  that  tried  to  run 
us  down?" 


DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS  37 

"It  might  be,"  answered  Fred. 

Dick  was  out  buying  some  special  supplies,  and 
his  errand  took  him  to  a  quarter  of  the  town 
which  was  by  no  means  of  the  better  sort.  As 
he  hurried  along,  he  heard  several  voices  in 
dispute. 

"You  must  settle  that  bill  at  the  hotel,"  a  heavy 
voice  was  saying. 

"You  can't  leave  us  until  you  do  settle,"  said  a 
second  voice. 

"I  paid  my  bill!  I  am  not  going  to  pay  for 
you — I  didn't  invite  you  to  come  with  me,"  came 
from  a  third  person. 

Dick  thought  he  recognized  that  voice,  and, 
looking  in  the  direction,  was  astonished  to  see 
Dan  Baxter.  The  bully  was  in  the  hands  of  two 
lumbermen,  who  held  him  by  the  arm. 

"He  must  be  in  trouble,"  thought  Dick,  and  he 
was  right.  Soon  the  dispute  waxed  hot,  and  one 
of  the  men  hit  Baxter  in  the  face. 

"Stop  that !"  cried  Dick,  running  up.  "Stop  it, 
I  say!" 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice,  the  men  started  back 
in  alarm. 

"He  must  be  the  new  sheriff,"  whispered  one. 
"They  say  he  looks  like  a  boy !" 

"Then  we  had  better  light  out,"  said  the  second 
lumberman,  and  on  the  instant  both  took  to  their 
heels  and  disappeared  around  a  corner. 


38          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

When  Dick  reached  Dan  Baxter's  side,  he 
found  the  former  bully  of  Putnam  Hall  pale  and 
much  agitated.  He,  too,  wanted  to  run  away,  but 
Dick  held  him. 

"So  we  meet  again,  Baxter?" 

"Let  go  of  me !"  growled  the  bully. 

"What  are  you  doing  here  ?" 

'That's  my  business." 

"What  were  the  men  doing?" 

"They  wanted  me  to  pay  their  hotel  bill  for 
them,  but  I  didn't  propose  to  do  it." 

"Do  you  know  that  Lew  Flapp  is  under 
arrest?" 

"I  don't  care." 

"I  think  I'll  have  to  have  you  arrested,  too." 

"Not  much,  Dick  Rover!" 

"You  came  down  the  river  on  that  big  lumber 
raft,  didn't  you?" 

"What  if  I  did?" 

"Those  rascals  did  their  best  to  run  us  down/' 

"Ha!  ha!  They  gave  you  a  fine  scare,  didn't 
they?"  and  the  bully  laughed  boisterously. 

"Did  the  raft  stop  here?" 

"No,  but  I  did." 

"Well,  you  had  better  come  with  me,  Dan." 

"Whereto?" 

"The  lock-up." 


DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS 


39 


"Never!"  The  big  bully  drew  back.  " You  let 
me  alone." 

Dick  caught  hold  of  Baxter  once  more,  but 
now  the  bully  hauled  off  and  hit  him  a  stinging 
blow  on  the  chin.  The  eldest  Rover  retaliated  by 
a  blow  that  blackened  the  bully's  left  eye.  Then 
they  clinched  and  rolled  on  the  ground. 

"Hi,  what's  the  matter  here?"  called  out  a 
planter,  running  up  at  this  moment. 

"He  is  a  thief !"  cried  Dan  Baxter.  "Take  him 
off  of  me!" 

"A  thief,  eh?"  said  the  planter,  and  he  caught 
Dick  by  the  arm.  "Come,  let  him  up,  you  rascal !" 

He  was  a  powerful  man,  and  hauled  Dick  back 
with  ease.  In  a  trice  Dan  Baxter  scrambled  up 
and  drew  back  a  few  paces. 

"I'll  get  an  officer,"  he  called  out,  and  ran  off, 
to  disappear  down  an  alleyway  between  a  group 
of  negro  shanties. 

"Come  after  him,"  said  Dick.  "He  is  the  real 
thief.  You  have  blundered." 

"You  can't  fool  me,  suh,"  said  the  planter 
firmly. 

"What,  won't  you  come  after  him  ?" 

"Nary  a  step.  I  allow  I  know  a  thief  when  I 
see  one."  . 

"Do  you  mean  that  for  me?" 

"I  surtainly  do,  suh/' 


40          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Well,  you're  a  big  fool,  that's  all  I  have  to 
say,"  cried  Dick,  and,  watching  his  chance,  he  got 
out  of  the  planter's  clutches  and  ran  after  Dan 
Baxter. 

The  chase  led  into  the  worst  portion  of  the 
town,  but  Dick  did  not  give  up  until  a  good  hour 
had  passed.  Then  he  returned  to  the  houseboat 
much  downcast,  and  told  his  story. 

"And  the  worst  of  it  is,  my  watch  is  missing," 
he  announced. 

"Perhaps  you  dropped  it  during  the  struggle/' 
suggested  Songbird. 

"Either  that,  or  Dan  Baxter  got  his  fist  on  it 
while  we  were  talking.  He  is  bad  enough  now  to 
do  almost  anything." 

"Better  go  back  and  see  if  you  can't  find  the 
watch,"  said  Tom.  "I'll  go  with  you." 

They  walked  to  the  spot  and  made  a  thorough 
search,  but  the  watch  failed  to  come  to  light. 
Dick  gave  a  long  sigh. 

"I'm  out  that  timepiece,  and  I  guess  for  good," 
he  murmured. 

They  were  about  to  return  to  the  houseboat, 
when  Dick  saw  the  planter  approaching  once 
more. 

"Ha,  so  you  have  come  back,  suh !"  he  cried. 

"Did  you  see  anything  of  my  watch?"  re 
manded  Dick  sharply. 


DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS  41 

"Your  watch?" 

"Yes;  it's  gone." 

"I  saw  nothing-  of  a  watch." 

"I  suppose  that  other  fellow  came  back  with  an 
officer,  didn't  he?"  went  on  the  eldest  Rover 
sarcastically. 

"I  did  not — ah — see  him,  suh." 

"I'm  out  my  watch,  all  because  of  your 
foolishness." 

"Suh  ?" 

"You  needn't  'suh'  me,  I  mean  what  I  said. 
My  watch  is  gone.  If  you  didn't  take  it  yourself, 
you  helped  that  fellow  to  get  away  with  it." 

"This  to  me,  suh!  me,  Colonel  Jackson  Gibbs, 
suh,  of  the  Sudley  Light  Artillery,  suh!  In 
famous,  suh !" 

"So  is  the  loss  of  my  watch  infamous." 

"I  shall  make  a  complaint,  suh,  to  the 
authorities." 

"Go  ahead,  and  tell  them  that  I  lost  my  watch, 
too,"  and  walked  off,  leaving  Colonel  Jackson 
Gibbs  of  the  Sudley  Light  Artillery  gazing  after 
him  in  amazement. 

"Do  you  think  he  will  make  more  trouble?" 
asked  Tom. 

"Not  he.  He  is  too  scared  that  T  will  hold  him 
responsible  for  the  loss  of  the  watch."  And  Dick 


42          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

was  right;  they  never  did  hear  of  the  planted 
again. 

That  night,  all  on  board  did  nothing  but  talk 
about  Dan  Baxter  and  the  way  he  had  managed  to 
escape. 

"He  is  as  bad  as  Paddy's  flea,"  said  Dora. 
"When  you  put  your  finger  on  him,  he  isn't 
there." 

The  houseboat  left  the  town  the  following  af 
ternoon,  and  the  course  was  now  down  the 
Mississippi  in  the  direction  of  a  village  called 
Braxbury,  where  Mrs.  Stanhope  had  some  friends 
of  many  years'  standing. 

"They  used  to  have  quite  a  plantation,"  said 
the  lady.  "If  they  still  have  it,  we'll  have  a  good 
chance  for  a  nice  time  on  shore." 

"And  we  can  go  out  for  that  ride  on  the 
prairies,"  added  Sam. 

"Want  to  scalp  a  few  noble  red  men?"  asked 
Tom,  with  a  wink. 

"No  red  men  in  mine,  Tom.  But  wouldn't  you 
like  an  outing  of  that  sort,  just  for  a  change?" 

"Don't  know  but  what  I  would.  But  we 
couldn't  take  the  girls  along  very  well." 

"No,  we  could  leave  them  with  their  friends  at 
the  plantation." 

On  the  following  day  it  began  to  rain,  and  all 
had  to  keep  to  the  cabin  of  the  houseboat.  At 


"TOM    WAS    HURLED    IN  10   THE    RIVER." 

from  Rover  Boys  on  the  Plains. 


DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS  43 

first,  the  rain  came  down  lightly,  but  towards  noon 
it  poured  in  torrents.  Out  on  the  river  the 
weather  grew  so  thick  that  they  could  not  see  a 
hundred  feet  in  any  direction. 

"Better  run  for  the  shore  and  tie  up,"  said 
Dick  to  Captain  Starr.  "We  don't  want  to  run 
the  risk  of  a  collision,  especially  when  our  time's 
our  own." 

"I  was  just  going  to  suggest  it,"  said  the 
skipper  of  the  Dora,  and  soon  they  were  turning 
toward  shore.  A  good  landing  place  was  found 
and  the  houseboat  was  tied  up  near  several  large 
trees  in  that  vicinity. 

Instead  of  abating,  the  storm  kept  increasing 
in  violence.  So  far,  there  had  been  but  little 
thunder  and  lightning,  but  now  several  vivid 
flashes  lit  up  the  sky,  and  some  sharp  cracks  made 
the  girls  jump. 

"Oh,  I  detest  a  thunder  storm,"  cried  Nellie. 
"I  wish  it  was  over." 

"So  do  I,"  answered  Dora.  "But  I  suppose  we 
have  got  to  make  the  best  of  it." 

"Do  not  sit  so  close  to  an  open  window,"  said 
Mrs.  Laning. 

"I  was  going  to  close  the  window,"  came  from 
Mrs.  Stanhope.  "I  never  sit  with  a  window  open 
during  such  a  storm  as  this."  And  then  the 
window  was  closed,  and  also  the  door. 


44          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I'm  going  out  for  some  fresh  air,"  said  Tom 
a  little  later,  when  the  worst  of  the  lightning 
seemed  to  be  over.  "I  hate  to  be  cooped  up  like  a 
chicken  in  a  hen-house."  And,  getting  out  his 
rain-coat,  he  went  on  deck,  and  presently  Dick 
followed  him. 

'This  will  make  the  river  swell  up,"  remarked 
Dick,  gazing  around  curiously.  "Gracious,  how 
it  pours !" 

"The  wind  is  rising.  That's  a  sign  it  is  going 
to  clear  up." 

"Not  always,  Tom.  I  think  this  storm  will 
last  all  day,  and  perhaps  to-night,  too." 

The  boys  walked  from  one  end  of  the  house 
boat  to  the  other  and  gazed  out  on  the  rolling 
river.  Then  a  gust  of  wind  almost  took  them 
from  their  feet. 

"Phew !  we  can't  stand  much  of  this,"  observed 
Dick.  "We'll  get  drenched  in  spite  of  our  rain 
coats.  I  think " 

Dick  got  no  further,  for  at  that  moment  there 
was  a  weird  flash  of  lightning,  followed  by  an  ear- 
splitting  crash  of  thunder.  Then  came  a  crash 
of  another  kind. 

"Look  out !  One  of  the  trees  is  coming  down 
on  the  houseboat!"  ejaculated  Dick. 

As  he  uttered  the  words  another  crash  followed. 


DAN  BAXTER  APPEARS  45 

and  down  came  the  trunk  of  a  big  tree,  cutting 
into  the  companion  ladder  and  the  cabin  of  the 
Dora.  One  of  the  branches  of  the  tree  swept  over 
poor  Tom,  and  before  he  could  save  himself,  he 
hurled  into  the  river. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    EFFECTS    OF   A    BIG    STORM 

"ToM  !"  cried  Dick,  as  he  saw  his  brother  swept 
from  view. 

There  was  no  answer  to  this  call,  and,  much 
alarmed,  the  eldest  Rover  leaped  over  a  limb  of 
the  fallen  tree  and  ran  to  the  edge  of  the 
houseboat. 

The  rain  was  again  coming  down  in  torrents 
and  for  the  moment  Dick  could  see  little  or  noth 
ing.  He  heard  a  cry  from  the  cabin  of  the  Dora, 
and  this  increased  his  dismay. 

At  last  he  caught  sight  of  Tom's  head,  about 
ten  feet  away  from  the  houseboat.  A  glance 
showed  him  that  his  brother  was  unconscious  and 
on  the  point  of  sinking  again. 

"I  must  save  him !"  muttered  Dick  to  himself, 
and,  without  an  instant's  hesitation,  he  leaped 
overboard. 

"Dick!  Tom!"  The  cry  was  uttered  by  Sam 
as  he  came  running  out  of  the  houseboat,  hatless 
and  in  his  shirt  sleeves. 

The  fallen  tree  obstructed  his  view,  and  it  was 
46 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM     47 

several  seconds  before  he  caught  sight  of  his 
brothers  in  the  water. 

"Dick !"  he  yelled.    "What's  the  matter  ?" 

"Throw  me  a  rope,"  was  the  answer,  and  it 
did  not  take  Sam  long  to  obey  instructions.  Then 
Dick  caught  Tom  under  the  shoulders,  and  both 
were  hauled  back  to  the  side  of  the  Dora. 

"Did  the  tree  knock  you  overboard?"  asked 
Sam  anxiously. 

"It  knocked  Tom  over/'  answered  Dick. 

Just  as  he  was  placed  on  deck  again,  Tom 
opened  his  eyes  and  stared  around  him. 

"Who — where  am  I?"  he  demanded  faintly. 

"You  are  safe,  Tom,"  answered  Dick  kindly. 
"Don't  you  remember,  the  tree  knocked  you  over 
board?" 

"Oh!"  The  fun-loving  Rover  drew  a  long 
breath.  "Did  you  fish  me  out?" 

"I  jumped  in  after  you,  and  Sam  fished  us  both 
out." 

"Good  enough." 

By  this  time  some  of  the  others  were  stepping 
forth  from  the  wreck  of  the  cabin.  All  were  more 
or  less  excited,  and  the  girls  and  ladies  came  out 
hatless  and  coatless  despite  the  rain,  which  now 
seemed  to  come  down  with  renewed  fury,  as  if  to 
add  to  their  misery. 

"Is  anybody  hurt?"  demanded  Dick. 


48         THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  was  hit  by  a  broken  board,"  answered  Mrs. 
Laning.  "But  it  scared  me  more  than  anything 
else." 

"One  of  the  broken  windows  came  in  on  me 
and  covered  me  with  glass,"  came  from  Songbird. 
"But  wasn't  that  a  crack  of  thunder!  I  thought 
it  was  the  crack  of  doom !" 

"And  were  you  really  hurled  overboard?"  asked 
Nellie,  rushing  up  to  Tom  and  almost  embracing- 
him.  "You  poor  boy!  How  glad  I  am  that  you 
were  not  drowned!" 

"Well,  come  to  think  of  it,  I'm  glad  myself," 
he  returned  with  a  little  smile. 

"Oh,  Tom,  it's  nothing  to  joke  about!" 

"That  is  true,  Nellie." 

"Say,  I  ton't  vont  no  more  excitements  like 
dot !"  cried  Hans.  "I  vos  schared  out  of  mine  vits 
alretty,  ain't  it !" 

"We  were  all  scared,"  said  Fred.  "But  hadn't 
we  better  get  inside  again?  We  are  all  getting" 
wet  to  the  skin." 

"The  cabin  is  in  an  awful  mess,"  declared  Dora, 
and  she  told  the  truth.  Daylight  was  streaming 
through  a  hole  in  one  corner  and  the  rain  was 
entering-  in  a  stream. 

"Let  us  get  a  tarpaulin  and  cover  that  hole," 
said  Dick.  "I'll  do  it,"  he  added.  "I  can't  get 
any  wetter  than  I  am,"  and  he  gave  a  short  laugh. 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM  49 

"And  I'll  help,"  said  Tom,  who  had  recovered 
rapidly  from  his  involuntary  bath. 

"We  shall  need  a  carpenter  to  make  repairs," 
said  Captain  Starr,  who  had  been  working  to 
shove  off  the  fallen  tree.  "This  smash-up  is  a 
pretty  bad  one." 

The  boys  remained  outside,  and  all  went  to 
work  to  remove  the  tree  trunk  and  to  cover  the 
hole  with  a  heavy  tarpaulin.  It  was  a  task  lasting 
the  best  part  of  an  hour,  and  when  it  had  come  to 
an  end,  the  rain  was  slackening  up. 

"We  shall  certainly  have  to  lay  up  somewhere 
for  repairs,"  said  Fred.  "We  can't  continue  the 
journey  in  this  condition." 

"Let  us  hire  a  carpenter  at  the  next  town  we 
stop  at,"  suggested  Sam,  and  to  this  they  agreed. 

The  mess  in  the  cabin  was  left  for  Aleck  to  clean 
up,  and  then  the  ladies  and  the  girls  straight 
ened  things  out  as  best  they  could.  As  soon  as 
the  storm  cleared  away,  the  journey  down  the 
Mississippi  was  continued. 

"I  can't  help  but  think  of  what  might  have  hap 
pened  if  that  stroke  of  lightning  had  hit  the 
houseboat,"  said  Songbird.  "It  makes  me 
shiver." 

"We  certainly  had  a  narrow  escape,"  answered 
Dora.  "I  never  wish  to  get  quite  so  close  to 
another  stroke." 


50          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

On  the  following-  day,  they  stopped  at  a  place 
which  I  shall  call  Ramontown.  From  one  of  the 
dock  owners,  they  learned  where  they  could  find 
a  master  carpenter,  and  they  called  upon  this  indi 
vidual  and  had  him  look  at  the  damage  done. 

"I  can  fix  up  the  craft  as  good  as  she  ever  was," 
said  he.  "But  it  will  take  at  least  a  week,  and  it 
will  take  several  days  more  to  give  her  two  good 
coats  of  paint." 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  they  decided 
to  remain  tied  up  and  have  the  houseboat  put  in 
first-class  condition  once  more.  Then  Mrs.  Stan 
hope  sent  a  long  letter  to  her  friends  at  Braxbury, 
stating  she  would  call  with  some  others,  and  men 
tioned  the  houseboat  trip. 

Just  twenty-four  hours  later,  a  middle-aged 
man  came  down  to  the  houseboat  and  shook  hands 
warmly.  His  name  was  Carson  Denton  and  he 
was  the  husband  of  Mrs.  Stanhope's  friend. 

"I  am  more  than  glad  to  see  you,"  he  said.  "I 
just  got  your  letter  to  Clara,  and  as  she  wanted 
me  to  open  any  letter  that  might  be  at  the  Brax 
bury  post-office  for  her,  I  read  it.  We  do  not 
live  in  Braxbury  any  longer,  but  further  west,  at 
a  place  called  Silver  Creek,  where  I  have  a  good- 
sized  plantation." 

"Is  that  so?  When  did  you  move,  Mr. 
Denton  ?" 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM  51 

"Only  a  few  weeks  ago,  which  accounts  for 
you  not  having  known  of  the  change.  I  had  a 
good  chance  to  trade  my  place  in  town  for  a  plan 
tation,  or  ranch,  as  my  son  Bob  calls  it,  and  I  took 
it.  We  have  a  fine  place,  and  Clara  will  be  much 
pleased,  I  am  sure,  to  have  you  and  your  friends 
pay  us  a  visit." 

"Oh,  mamma,  let  us  go !"  cried  Dora.  "I  don't 
wish  to  stay  on  the  houseboat  while  the  repairs 
are  being  made." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  an  hour,  and 
the  boys  and  girls  took  Mr.  Denton  over  the 
houseboat,  from  end  to  end. 

"I've  heard  of  you  Rover  boys,"  said  he  to 
Dick,  Tom  and  Sam.  "Mrs.  Stanhope  has  written 
to  us  about  you,  and  how  you  once  saved  her  from 
a  fellow  named  Josiah  Crabtree.  If  you  and 
your  chums  wish  to  visit  our  place,  I'd  like  you 
to  do  so.  I've  got  a  son  Bob  who,  I  know,  would 
like  to  meet  you." 

"Well,  I  wouldn't  mind  taking  a  trip  inland/' 
answered  Dick. 

"Can't  we  go  on  horseback?"  put  in  Sam 
eagerly. 

"We  might  do  that." 

"Certainly,  you  could  make  the  trip  in  that 
way,"  said  Mr.  Denton.  "But  it  would  take 
some  time,  for  the  roads  are  not  of  the  best  down 


J2          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

here.  We  usually  take  a  train  as  far  as  Docker 
Crossing,  and  then  ride  the  rest  of  the  distance, 
twelve  miles,  in  a  carriage  or  on  horseback." 

"I'll  tell  you  what's  let  do,"  suggested  Tom. 
"The  girls  and  the  ladies  can  go  with  Mr.  Denton 
on  the  train,  and  all  us  boys  can  hire  horses  and 
make  the  trip  that  way.  We  can  leave  Captain 
Starr  and  Aleck  in  charge  of  the  houseboat  until 
we  get  back.  We  need  not  hurry  ourselves,  for 
our  time  is  our  own." 

When  talked  over,  this  plan  met  with  universal 
approval,  and  it  was  decided  to  put  it  into  execu 
tion  without  delay.  Mr.  Denton  wished  them  to 
make  an  extended  stay  at  his  plantation,  and  the 
boys  decided  to  take  their  own  time  in  getting 
there. 

"It  will  be  just  the  outing  on  horseback  that  I 
have  been  looking  for,"  said  Sam.  "I  hope  we 
have  nothing  but  clear  weather." 

"We  ought  to  have,  after  such  a  storm,"  said 
Fred.  "See  how  clear  the  sky  is  to-day." 

"That  trip  to  the  plantation  on  horseback  will 
take  about  five  days,"  said  Dick.  "That  will 
make  quite  an  outing." 

"Puts  me  in  mind  of  our  trip  out  West,"  said 
Tom.  "What  are  we  going  to  do  when  night 
comes  on?  Go  to  some  ranch,  or  make  our  own 
camp  ?" 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM  53 

"Oh,  let  us  go  into  our  own  camp!"  cried 
Songbird.  "It  will  be  such  fun !" 

"That's  the  talk,"  chimed  in  Sam. 
»      "We  can  camp  out  on  the  way  if  the  weathe( 
proves  good,"  decided  Dick.    "But  if  it  raitis  good 
and  hard,  I  reckon  all  of  you  will  be  gip>.d  enough 
to  get  under  cover." 

"Pooh!  who's  afraid  of  a  littte  rain,"  put  in 
Fred.  "Why,  that  will  make  us  grow!" 

So  the  talk  ran  on,  and  finally  all  arrangements 
were  completed  for  the  trip  inland.  Aleck  Pop 
was  sorry  he  could  not  accompany  the  boys,  but 
Dick  thought  it  best  that  he  remain  behind. 

"You  know  how  Captain  Starr  is,  Aleck — a 
bit  queer  at  times.  The  Dora  is  a  valuable  craft, 
and  I  shall  feel  safer  if  I  know  you  are  helping 
to  keep  watch  over  her." 

"All  right,  Massa  Dick.  I  will  do  my  best  to 
see  dat  no  harm  comes  to  de  houseboat.  But  I'd 
like  to  be  wid  you  boys,  no  use  er  talkin'." 

"Perhaps  you  can  go  along  next  time,"  said 
Dick,  and  with  this  the  colored  man  had  to  be 
content. 

It  did  not  take  the  ladies  and  the  girls  long  to 
get  ready  for  the  trip,  and  they  left  on  the  fol 
lowing  morning,  the  boys  going  to  the  railroad 
station  to  see  them  off.  There  was  a  hearty 
handshake  all  around.  Then  the  train  came  in 


54          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and  the  party  was  off  with  a  waving  of  handker 
chiefs. 

"And  now  to  get  ready  for  our  own  start," 
came  from  Tom. 

Through  the  carpenter  who  had  taken  the  con 
tract  to  repair  the  houseboat,  they  were  intro 
duced  to  a  man  who  owned  a  number  of  horses, 
and  for  a  proper  consideration  this  individual 
let  them  have  the  use  of  the  steeds  they  wanted. 
They  were  all  good  animals  and  used  to  the 
saddle,  and  the  man  guaranteed  that  the  lads 
would  not  have  any  trouble  whatever  with  them. 

"But  I  want  to  tell  you  beforehand  that  the 
road  is  none  of  the  best,"  said  the  horse  owner. 
"It  is  pretty  fair  for  the  first  fifteen  miles  or  so, 
but  then  it  is  bad  for  thirty  miles  after  that.  You 
want  to  beware  of  sink  holes." 

"We've  been  on  some  pretty  bad  roads  before 
this,"  answered  Sam.  "I  guess  we'll  know 
enough  to  take  care  of  ourselves." 

"Well,  I  didn't  think  there  would  be  any  harm 
in  telling  you." 

"Oh,  that's  all  right." 

The  Rover  boys  were  so  used  to  traveling  and 
to  camping  out  that  they  knew  exactly  what  to 
take  along.  The  other  lads  were  also  well  in 
formed,  because  of  the  military  encampments  in 
which  they  had  participated.  They  carried  only 


THE  EFFECTS  OF  A  BIG  STORM     55 

what  was  necessary,  so  that  their  steeds  might  not 
be  too  heavily  burdened. 

"Looks  like  yo'  was  ready  fo'  a  reg'lar  outin'," 
remarked  Aleck  when  they  were  ready  for  a  start. 
"I  dun  hopes  yo'  all  come  back  safe  and  sound." 

"Why,  of  course  we'll  come  back  safe  and 
sound!"  exclaimed  Sam.  "What  put  that  into 
your  noddle,  Aleck?" 

"I  dunno,  Massa  Sam.  But  dis  am  a  queer 
country,  ain't  it?" 

"Not  in  the  least.  We  expect  to  have  a  fine 
outing1,  and  nothing  else." 

"And  we'll  be  back  here  inside  of  two  weeks," 
added  Dick.  "That  is,  unless  we  make  up  our 
minds  to  stay  at  Mr.  Denton's  place  for  a  while." 

"All  right,  sah." 

"And  when  we  get  back,  I  shall  expect  to  see 
the  houseboat  in  first-class  order,"  continued  Dick 
to  Captain  Starr. 

"I  shall  do  my  best,"  answered  the  captain. 

A  moment  later,  all  of  the  boys  mounted  their 
horses  and  the  journey  inland  was  begun.  Little 
did  they  dream  of  the  strange  adventures  and 
'perils  which  lay  ahead  of  them. 


CHAPTER   VII 

A    DAY   ON    THE    ROAD 

"Vox  kind  of  a  horse  you  vos  call  clis,  anna- 
how?" 

The  question  came  from  Hans,  after  about  four 
miles  of  the  journey  had  been  covered.  So  far, 
his  steed  had  acted  well  enough,  but  now,  with 
out  warning,  the  animal  began  to  balk  and  paw 
the  turf. 

"Something  is  wrong,  that  is  certain,"  replied 
Dick.  "Perhaps  you  haven't  got  a  tight  enough 
rein,  Hans." 

"Dot  reins  vos  so  tight  as  nefer  vos.  I  dink 
dis  horse  got  somedings  der  madder  mit  him." 

As  the  German  boy  finished,  he  gave  the  horse 
a  slap  on  the  neck  with  his  hands.  In  a  twinkling, 
up  came  the  steed's  hind  heels,  and  poor  Hans 
slid  out  of  the  saddle  and  down  to  the  neck. 

"Voah,dere!"  he  bawled.  "Voah,  I  said!  Vot 
you  vants  to  do,  annahow,  drow  me  your  hea4 
ofer  ?  Sthop,  und  do  it  kvick !" 

But  the  horse  did  not  stop.  Instead,  he  began 
to  back,  and  then  of  a  sudden  he  leaped  high  up 

56 


A  DAY  ON  THE  ROAD  57 

in  the  air,  to  come  down  on  all  fours  with  a  thump 
that  nearly  jounced  poor  Hans  to  pieces. 

"Hello,  Hans  has  got  a  bucking  bronco !"  cried 
Tom.  "Hans,  what  will  you  take  for  him?" 

"I  gif  him  avay!"  bawled  the  poor  German 
youth.  "Oh!" 

For  the  steed  had  made  another  leap,  and  now 
Hans  went  over  his  neck  in  a  jiffy,  to  land  in  a 
heap  of  dust  on  the  side  of  the  road.  Then  the 
horse  took  to  his  heels  and  disappeared  up  the 
trail  like  a  flash. 

"Are  you  hurt?"  questioned  Dick,  leaping  to 
the  ground  and  running  to  the  German  youth's 
assistance. 

"Vere  is  dot  horse?"  sang  out  Hans  as  he 
scrambled  up  and  wiped  the  dust  from  his  mouth 
and  eyes.  He  was  not  injured,  but  was  greatly 
excited. 

"The  horse  has  run  away." 

"Veil,  I  nefer!    Go  after  him,  somepotty!" 

"I'll  go  after  him !"  cried  Tom. 

"So  will  I,"  added  Fred,  and  away  they  sped, 
with  Sam  and  Songbird  after  them. 

"Be  careful !"  called  Dick.  "That  horse  may 
prove  to  be  a  pretty  high-strung  beast." 

"I  think  I  can  manage  him,"  cried  Tom.  "But 
we  have  got  to  locate  him  first." 

Those  in  pursuit  of  the  horse  had  to  travel  the 


58          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

best  part  of  a  mile  before  they  came  in  sight  of 
the  animal,  quietly  grazing  by  the  roadside. 

"Looks  as  meek  as  a  lamb,"  observed  Fred. 
"Whoa,  there!"  he  called  out. 

At  the  call,  the  horse  pricked  up  his  ears  and 
looked  at  them  curiously.  Then  he  took  half  a 
dozen  steps  forward. 

"He  is  going  to  run  away  again!"  came  in  a 
warning  from  Songbird. 

"Not  to-day!"  sang  out  Tom,  and  riding  for 
ward,  he  leaned  over  and  caught  the  dangling 
reins.  Then,  watching  his  chance,  he  leaped  into 
the  other  saddle. 

Scarcely  had  he  done  this,  than  the  runaway 
steed  began  to  prance,  and  kicked  up  his  heels  as 
before.  But  Tom  was  on  guard,  and  try  his 
best,  the  horse  could  not  dislodge  the  boy. 

"Beware,  Tom!"  cried  Sam.  "Don't  let  him 
throw  you,  or  he  may  step  on  you !" 

"I  don't  intend  to  let  him  throw  me!"  was  the 
panting  answer. 

Finding  he  could  not  throw  Tom,  the  horse 
adopted  new  tactics.  He  gave  a  sudden  bound 
forward  and  was  off  with  the  speed  of  the  wind. 

"He  is  running  away  with  Tom !" 

On  and  on  went  the  steed,  and  Tom  did  his  best 
to  pull  him  in,  but  without  result.  Then  the  fun- 


A  DAY  ON  THE  ROAD  59 

loving  youth  smiled  grimly  and  shut  his  teeth 
hard. 

"All  right,  Old  Fireworks,  if  you  want  to  run. 
I'll  give  you  all  you  want  of  it,"  he  murmured. 

On  and  on  they  flew,  until  a  bend  in  the  road 
shut  off  the  others  from  view.  A  mile  was  cov 
ered,  and  the  horse  showed  signs  of  slackening 
his  speed. 

"No,  you  don't,"  said  Tom.  "You  wanted  to 
run,  now  keep  it  up  for  a  while,"  and  he  slapped 
the  animal  vigorously. 

Away  went  the  horse,  and  another  quarter  of 
a  mile  was  passed.  Then  the  horse  slackened  up 
once  more. 

"Another  run,  please,"  said  Tom,  and  slapped 
him  as  before.  The  horse  went  on,  but  at  a  reduced 
speed,  and  came  to  a  halt  before  another  quarter 
mile  was  passed. 

"Had  about  enough,  eh?"  questioned  Tom. 
"Well,  you  can  run  a  little  more,  just  for  good 
measure." 

By  the  time  the  next  run  came  to  an  end,  the 
horse  was  covered  with  foam  and  tired  out,  for 
the  road  was  very  rough.  Tom  now  turned  him 
back  and  made  him  journey  along  at  a  fairly  good 
rate  of  speed. 

"Well,  I  declare,  here  comes  Tom  back!"  cried 


60          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Fred  on  catching  sight  of  the  fun-loving  Rover. 
"Are  you  hurt?" 

"Not  a  bit." 

"And  the  horse?"  asked  Sam. 

"As  meek  as  a  lamb — shouldn't  wish  for  a 
better  animal.  He  wanted  a  little  run,  that's  all, 
and  I  gave  it  to  him." 

Soon  Dick  came  up,  with  Hans  riding  behind 
him.  The  German  boy  looked  at  the  captured 
horse  with  awe. 

"Did  he  bite  you?"  he  questioned. 

"No." 

"Didn't  he  hurt  you  at  all?" 

"Nary  a  hurt,  Hansy." 

"Vonderful!" 

"Do  you  want  him  back?" 

"Not  for  a  dousand  tollars,  Tom.  Of  I  got 
to  ride  him,  I  valk,"  continued  Hans  decidedly. 

"Then,  supposing  you  try  my  horse.  He  is 
gentle  enough." 

"Ton't  you  been  afraid  of  dot  beast?" 

"No." 

"All  right,  den,  I  dook  your  horse.  But  of  you 
got  killed,  it  ton't  vos  mine  funeral,"  added  Hans 
warningly. 

The  animal  Tom  had  been  riding  was  close  by, 
and  soon  the  German  youth  was  in  the  saddle  and 
the  journey  was  resumed.  They  could  not  go 


A  DAY  ON  THE  ROAD  61 

fast,  however,  for  Tom's  horse  was  all  but 
exhausted. 

"I  think  he  has  learned  his  lesson,"  said  Tom 
to  his  brothers.  And  so  it  proved,  for  after  that 
single  "kick-up/'  the  horse  gave  them  no  further 
trouble. 

About  four  o'clock  that  afternoon,  they  rode 
into  a  place  called  Harpertown,  which  was  some 
thing  of  a  horse-trading  center.  Some  of  the 
horse  dealers  thought  they  had  come  in  to  do  some 
trading,  but  lost  interest  when  the  boys  told  them 
that  they  were  simply  on  a  journey  to  the  Denton 
plantation. 

"We  may  as  well  stop  here  for  a  while,"  said 
Sam.  "Perhaps  we  can  get  a  good  supper  at  the 
hotel/' 

"Thought  we  were  going  to  camp  out,"  re 
marked  Fred.  "Build  our  own  camp  fire,  and  all 
that?" 

"We  can  try  that  to-morrow,  when  we  are 
among  the  hills,"  said  Dick,  and  by  a  vote  it  was 
decided  to  stay  in  Harpertown  for  supper. 

They  put  up  their  horses  at  the  livery  stable 
attached  to  the  hotel,  and  then  went  to  the  lava 
tory  to  wash  up.  On  coming  out  and  going  to 
the  general  room  of  the  hostelry,  Dick  ran  into  a 
man  who  looked  familiar  to  him. 


62          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Why,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Monday?"  he  cried, 
and  put  out  his  hand. 

The  man  looked  startled  at  being  addressed  so 
unexpectedly.  Then  he  recognized  Dick,  and 
smiled  faintly. 

"How  do  you  do,  Dick  Rover?"  he  said.  "I 
didn't  expect  to  run  across  you  down  here." 

"Are  you  at  work  here,  Mr.  Monday?" 

"Hush!  Please  do  not  mention  my  name," 
said  James  Monday  hastily.  He  was  a  detective 
who  had  once  done  some  work  for  Dick's  father, 
after  which  he  had  given  up  his  private  practice 
to  take  a  position  with  the  United  States  Govern 
ment. 

"All  right,  just  as  you  please."  Dick  lowered 
his  voice.  "I  suppose  you  are  on  a  case  down 
here?" 

James  Monday  nodded. 

"Can  I  help  you  in  any  way?" 

"I  think  not,  Rover.     Where  are  you  bound?" 

"To  a  plantation  about  a  hundred  miles  from 
here,"  and  the  eldest  Rover  gave  a  few  particulars. 

"Well,  I  wish  you  luck,"  said  the  government 
detective.  "Now,  do  me  a  favor,  will  you?"  he 
asked  earnestly.  "Don't  act  as  if  you  know  me, 
and  don't  tell  anybody  who  I  am." 

'Til  comply  willingly." 


A  DAY  ON  THE  ROAD  63 

*'If  your  brothers  recognize  me,  ask  them  to  do 
the  same." 

"I  will." 

"I  am  looking  up  some  rascals  and  I  don't  want 
them  to  get  on  to  the  fact  that  I  am  a  detective." 

"I  understand." 

At  that  moment  a  heavy-set  individual  with  a 
shock  of  bushy  hair  came  slouching  in.  At  once 
James  Monday  took  his  departure,  the  new 
comer  gazing  after  him  curiously. 

Dick  waited  a  moment,  and  then  rejoined  Sam 
and  Tom. 

"Dick,  we  just  caught  sight  of  a  man  we  know," 
said  Sam.  "Can  you  guess  whom?" 

"Mr.  Day-of-the-week,"  put  in  Tom. 

Dick  put  up  his  hand  warningly. 

"Don't  mention  that  to  a  soul,"  he  whispered. 
"I  was  just  talking  to  him.  He  is  here  on  special 
business,  and  he  wants  nobody  to  know  him." 

"Then  we'll  be  as  mum  as  a  mouse  in  a  cheese," 
answered  Sam. 

"Correct,"  joined  in  Tom.  "But  what's  his 
game?" 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Dick.  But  he  was 
destined  to  find  out  ere  he  was  many  days  older. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

FUN   AT   THE   HOTEL 

THE  long-  ride  had  made  all  of  the  boys  hungry, 
and  when  they  procured  supper  at  the  hotel  they 
cleaned  up  nearly  everything  that  was  set  before 
them. 

"Nothing  the  matter  with  your  appetites,"  ob 
served  a  sour-looking  individual  who  sat  next  to 
Tom  at  the  table. 

"Nothing  at  all,  sir,"  answered  the  fun-loving 
youth.  "What  made  you  think  there  was?" 

"Eh?" 

"What  made  you  think  there  was  something 
wrong  with  our  internal  machinery,  whereby  we 
might  be  wanting  in  a  proper  regard  for  victuals  ?" 

The  man  stared  at  Tom,  and  while  a  few  at  the 
table  snickered,  the  man  himself  looked  more 
sour  than  ever. 

"See  here,  don't  you  poke  fun  at  me!"  he  cried. 

"Never  dreamed  of  it,  my  dear  sir,"  said  Tom, 
unruffled.  "By  the  way,  how's  your  heart?" 

"Why— er— my  heart's  all  right." 

"Glad  to  hear  it.  Yesterday  I  heard  of  a 
64 


FUN  AT  THE  HOTEL  65 

donkey  who  had  his  heart  on  the  wrong  side  of 
his  body.     Odd  case,  wasn't  it?" 

"See  here,  you  young  imp,  do  you  mean  to  call 
me  a— er— a  donkey?"  and  the  man  grew  red  in 

the  face. 

"A  donkey?  Why,  no,  sir!  What  put  such  a 
notion  in  your  head?" 

"You  said " 

"So  I  did.     Go  on." 

"You  said '" 

"So  you  said  before." 

"You  said " 

"You  said  that  before.  You  said,  I  said,  and  I 
said,  so  I  did.  It's  perfectly  clear,  as  the  strainer 
said  to  the  tea." 

By  this  time,  all  sitting  at  the  table  were  on  a 
broad  grin.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  sour-looking 
man  was  not  liked  in  that  locality,  and  the  board 
ers  were  glad  to  see  somebody  "take  him  down." 

"I  won't  put  up  with  your  foolishness!" 
stormed  the  man.  "I  am  not  a  donkey,  and  I 
want  you  to  know  it." 

"Well,  I  am  glad  you  mentioned  it,"  said  Tom 
calmly.  "Now,  there  won't  be  the  least  occasion 
for  a  mistake." 

"Don't  insult  me!" 

"No,  sir;  I  am  not  looking  for  work." 

"Eh?" 


66          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  said  I  wasn't  looking  for  work." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 

"That,  sir,  is  a  mystery  puzzle,  and  there  is  a 
reward  of  one  herring  bone  for  the  correct  solu 
tion.  Answers  must  be  sent  in  on  one  side  of  the 
•paper  only,  and  have  a  certificate  added  that  the 
sender  has  not  got  cold  feet." 

At  this  quaint  humor,  some  at  the  table  laughed 
outright.  The  sour-looking  individual  looked 
thoroughly  enraged. 

"I — I'll  settle  with  you  another  time,  young 
man !"  he  roared,  and  dashed  from  the  room. 

"Tom,  you  made  it  rather  warm  for  him,"  re 
marked  Dick. 

"Well,  he  had  no  right  to  find  fault  with  our 
appetites,"  grumbled  Tom.  "We  are  paying  for 
our  meals,  and  I  am  going  to  eat  what  I  please." 

"And  I  don't  blame  you,  young  man,"  said  a 
gentleman  sitting  opposite.  "Sladen  is  very  dis 
agreeable  to  us  all  and  makes  himself  especially 
obnoxious  to  newcomers.  He  imagines  the  hotel 
is  here  for  his  especial  benefit." 

"Well,  he  wants  to  treat  me  fairly,  or  I'll  give 
him  as  good  as  he  sends,  and  better." 

During  the  evening  Sladen  made  himself  par 
ticularly  disagreeable  to  the  Rovers  and  their 
chums.  This  set  Tom  to  thinking,  and  he  asked 


FUN  AT  THE  HOTEL  67 

one  of  the  hotel  men  what  business  the  man  was 
in  and  where  he  usually  kept  himself. 

"He  is  a  traveling  salesman,"  was  the  answer, 
i  "He  sells  horse  and  cattle  medicine." 
*      "Oh,  I  see,"  said  Tom,  and  set  his  brain  to 
work   to   play   some   joke   on   the   sour-looking 
vender  of  stock  remedies. 

Tom's  chance  came  sooner  than  expected.  A 
batch  of  colored  folks  had  drifted  into  the  place 
under  the  impression  that  a  certain  planter  was 
going  to  give  them  work  at  big  wages.  They 
were  a  worthless  lot,  the  scum  of  other  planta 
tions,  and  nobody  wanted  them. 

Sitting  down,  Tom  penned  the  following  note 
and  got  it  to  one  of  the  negroes  in  a  roundabout 
fashion : 

'The  man  who  wants  you  and  all  of  the  others 
is  Sandy  Sladen.  He  does  not  dare  to  say  so  here 
at  the  hotel,  but  all  of  you  had  better  go  up  to 
him  on  the  sly  and  tell  him  you  are  ready  to 
work,  and  ask  for  a  dollar  in  advance — that's 
the  sign  that  it  is  all  right.  Do  not  let  him  put 
you  off,  as  he  may  want  to  test  you.  This  is  the 
chance  of  your  life." 

The  communication  was  signed  with  a  scrawl 
that  might  mean  anything.  The  negro  read  it  and 
passed  it  to  his  friends.  All  were  mystified,  but 


68          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

they  decided  that  they  must  do  as  the  letter  said, 
and  without  loss  of  time. 

Sladen  was  sitting  in  the  reading-room  of  the 
hotel  smoking  a  cheap  cigar,  when  he  was  told  a 
negro  wished  to  see  him. 

"Very  well,  send  him  in,"  he  said  in  his  loud, 
consequential  tone. 

The  burly  negro  came  in  almost  on  tiptoes 
and,  putting  his  mouth  close  to  Sladen's  ear, 
whispered : 

"Fse  ready  to  go  to  work,  sah.  Hadn't  yo' 
bettah  gib  me  a  dollah,  sah  ?" 

"What's  that?"  demanded  the  traveling  man. 

The  negro  repeated  his  words  in  a  slightly 
louder  tone. 

"I  don't  want  you  to  work  for  me!"  cried  the 
sour-looking  individual.  "Get  out!" 

"Dat's  all  right,  sah.    I  can  do  it,  sah." 

"I  don't  want  you." 

"Yes,  yo'  do,  sah.  Won't  you  han'  ober  dat 
dollah,  sah  ?  It  will  come  in  mighty  useful,  sah." 

"Say,  you're  crazy !"  cried  the  traveling  man. 

By  this  time  two  other  colored  men  were  com 
ing  in.  Both  approached  as  secretly  as  had  the 
first. 

"I'se  ready  to  go  to  work  fo'  you,  sah,"  said 
each,  and  added:  "Kin  I  hab  dat  dollah?" 

"Look  here,  what  does  this  mean  ?"  roared  the 


FUN  AT  THE  HOTEL  69 

irate  man.  "Get  away  from  here,  before  I  boot 
you  out !" 

But  the  negroes  did  not  go,  and  in  a  few  min 
utes  more  three  others  entered.  Soon  the  read 
ing-room  was  full  of  them,  all  talking  in  an 
excited  manner. 

"We'se  ready  to  work  fo'  you!"  they  cried. 

"Give  me  a  chance  fust  ?"  bawled  one  big,  coal- 
black  fellow. 

"No,  de  fust  job  comes  to  me !"  put  in  the  man 
who  had  received  the  letter. 

"Dat  job  is  mine!"  called  out  a  third.  "Ain't 
dat  so?"  and  he  caught  Sladen  by  the  arm. 

This  was  a  signal  for  the  others,  and  soon  they 
completely  surrounded  the  traveling  man,  who 
tried  in  vain  to  ward  them  off. 

"Give  us  dat  dollah!"  called  out  several. 

"We  want  work,  an'  yo'  has  got  to  gib  it  to  us." 

"Yo'  can't  bring  us  to  dis  town  fo'  nuffin !" 

They  pushed  and  hustled  the  traveling  man  all 
around  the  room,  while  the  rest  of  the  guests 
looked  on  in  amazement.  Tom  and  his  friends 
stood  by  the  door  and  enjoyed  the  scene 
immensely. 

"He  is  surely  getting  all  that  is  coming  to  him/' 
observed  Fred. 

"Say,  he  vos  so  mad  like  a  bumbles  bee,"  came 
from  Hans. 


70          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"If  you  don't  go  away,  I'll  call  an  officer!" 
came  frantically  from  the  traveling  man.  "I 
don't  want  to  hire  anybody." 

"Yes,  yo'  do!"  was  the  chorus.  "Give  us  dat 
dollah!" 

By  this  time  the  owner  of  the  hotel  had  heard 
of  the  excitement,  and  he  came  bustling  in. 

"See  here,"  he  said  to  Sladen,  "you  can't  use 
this  hotel  for  an  employment  office.  If  you  want 
to  hire  help,  you  have  got  to  do  it  on  the  outside." 

"I  don't  want  help!"  stormed  the  traveling 
man. 

"These  men  say  you  sent  for  them." 

"Maybe  he  wants  them  to  try  some  of  his  horse 
remedies,"  suggested  a  man  who  did  not  like 
Sladen.  "If  so,  I  advise  them  not  to  take  the 
job."  And  a  general  laugh  arose  at  the  sally. 

"You  have  got  to  get  out  of  here,"  said  the 
hotel  man,  speaking  to  the  negroes.  "And  you 
must  go,  too,"  he  added  to  the  traveling  man. 

"Me?" 

"Yes,  you.  You  have  made  trouble  enough 
around  here.  After  this,  when  you  come  to  town, 
you  can  go  to  some  other  hotel." 

"This  is  an  outrage!" 

"We  want  a  job,  or  some  money !"  bawled  two 
of  the  colored  men.  And  they  rushed  at  Sladen 
and  began  to  shake  him  violently.  He  pushed 


FUN  AT  THE  HOTEL  71 

them  away  and  started  for  the  door.  They  went 
after  him,  and  in  the  hallway  he  got  into  a  free 
fight  and  almost  had  his  coat  torn  from  his  back. 

"I'll  get  even  with  somebody  for  this !"  he  al 
most  foamed.  "If  I  find  out  who  played  this  joke 
on  me " 

"Go  on,  and  do  your  talking  outside,"  inter 
rupted  the  hotel  proprietor,  and  then  the  dis 
gruntled  traveling  man  had  to  leave,  with  the 
angry  mob  of  colored  men  following  him.  He 
was  so  pestered  by  the  latter  that  he  had  to  take 
a  train  out  of  town  the  very  next  morning. 

"That  was  piling  it  on  pretty  thick,  Tom/' 
said  Dick,  after  the  excitement  was  over. 

"He  deserved  it,  Dick.  I  made  some  inquiries 
around  the  hotel,  and  not  a  single  person  liked 
him.  He  was  the  torment  of  all  the  hired  help, 
and  was  keeping  them  in  hot  water  continually." 

"Well,  if  he  finds  you  out,  he'll  make  it  warm 
for  you." 

"I  intend  to  keep  mum,"  answered  the  fun-lov 
ing  Rover,  and  he  did  keep  mum.  It  may  be 
(added  here  that  he  never  met  Sladen  again. 


CHAPTER    IX 

HANS   AS   A    POET 

DICK  was  down  in  the  stable  attached  to  the 
hotel  on  the  following  morning",  when  a  man 
came  in  and  approached  him.  He  was  the  same 
individual  who  had  drawn  near  when  the  eldest 
Rover  was  talking  to  the  government  detective. 

"Getting  ready  to  leave,  stranger  ?"  he  said  in 
a  pleasant  tone. 

"Yes,  we  are  going  to  start  right  after 
breakfast." 

"Bound  for  the  Denton  plantation,  so  I  hear?" 

"Yes.     Do  you  know  Mr.  Denton?" 

"I  met  him  once  or  twice — when  he  was  in 
business  in  Braxbury.  A  nice  man,  so  I 
understand." 

"Yes,  he  is  a  very  nice  man." 

"It  might  be  that  you  are  related  to  him?" 

"No." 

"That's  a  nice  hoss  you've  been  riding." 

"I  find  him  so,"  answered  Dick  shortly.  He 
did  not  fancy  the  appearance  of  the  man  who  was 
speaking  to  him. 

72 


HANS  AS  A  POET  73 

"Looks  something  like  a  horse  was  here  yester 
day  and  the  day  before,"  continued  the  man,  fol 
lowing  Dick  up.  "I  reckon  you  remember  him  ?" 

Dick  did  remember,  for  the  horse  had  been 
ridden  by  James  Monday. 

"By  the  way,  who  was  your  friend?"  added 
the  man  with  assumed  carelessness,  but  eying 
Dick  closely. 

"I  can't  tell  you  anything  about  him,"  was  the 
sharp  answer.  "Have  you  a  horse  here?"  con 
tinued  Dick,  to  change  the  subject. 

"Certainly.    Then  you  didn't  know  the  man?" 

"Oh,  I  met  him  once  or  twice,  years  ago — when 
he  was  in  business  up  in  New  York."  And  with 
out  waiting  to  be  questioned  further,  Dick  walked 
out  of  the  stable.  The  man  eyed  him  as  closely 
as  he  had  the  government  detective  the  day 
previous. 

"He  isn't  much  more  than  a  boy,  but  I'd  like 
to  know  if  he  is  out  here  only  for  pleasure  or  on 
business,"  said  the  man  to  himself.  "We  can't 
be  too  careful  in  our  work,"  and  he  smiled  grimly. 

"That  fellow  wants  to  know  too  much,"  said 
the  eldest  Rover  in  talking  it  over  with  his 
brother  Sam.  "I  must  say  I  don't  like  his  looks 
at  all." 

"Nor  I,  Dick.  I'll  wager  he  has  some  game 
up  his  sleeve." 


J4          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Perhaps  he  is  the  fellow  Mr.  Monday  is 
watching?" 

"That  is  possible,  too.  He  was  certainly  very 
inquisitive." 

After  a  good  breakfast,  the  Rovers  and  their' 
friends  prepared  to  resume  their  journey.  From 
the  landlord  of  the  hotel  they  obtained  informa 
tion  regarding  the  roads  and  trails  to  follow. 

"They  ain't  none  of  the  best,"  said  the  hotel 
man.  "But  they  are  the  best  we  possess,  so  you'll 
have  to  put  up  with  them,"  and  he  laughed  at  his 
little  joke. 

They  were  soon  on  the  way.  A  good  night's 
rest  had  put  all  in  the  best  of  humor,  and  they 
joked  and  sang  as  they  rode  along. 

"Songbird,  this  ride  ought  to  be  full  of  inspira 
tions  for  you,"  remarked  Fred. 

"I'll  wager  he  is  chockful  of  poetry  at  this 
minute,"  put  in  Dick. 

"Then,  for  gracious'  sake,  turn  on  the  spigot 
before  you  explode,  Songbird,"  cried  Tom. 
"Don't  pen  up  your  brilliant  ideas  when  they  want 
to  flow." 

"An  idea  just  popped  into  my  head,"  said  the 
so-styled  poet.  "Now  you  have  asked  me,  you 
have  got  to  stand  for  it."  And  in  a  deep  voice  he 
commenced : 


HANS  AS  A  POET  75 

"The  road  is  dusty,  the  road  is  long, 
But  we  can  cheer  our  way  with  song, 
And  as  we  ride  with  gladsome  hearts " 

"Each  one  can  wish  he  had  some  tarts,*' 
finished  Tom,  and  continued: 

"Or  pies,  or  cakes,  or  ice-cream  rare 

Good  things  that  make  a  fellow  stare!" 

"Don't  mention  ice-cream!"  cried  Fred.  "Oh, 
but  wouldn't  it  be  fine  on  such  a  hot  day  as  this  ?" 

"No  ice-cream  in  this  poetry,"  came  from 
Songbird.  "Listen !"  and  he  went  on : 

"The  road  doth  wind  by  forests  deep, 
Where  soft  the  welcome  shadows  creep. 
Down  the  valley,  up  the  hill, 
And  then  beside  the  rippling  rill. 
The  welcome  flowers  line  the  way, 
Throughout  the  livelong  summer  day, 
The  birds  are  flitting  to  and  fro " 

"They  love  to  flit  and  flit,  you  know/ 
came  from  the  irrepressible  Tom,  and  he  added: 

"The  bullfrog  hops  around  the  marsh, 
His  welcome  note  is  rather  harsh. 
The  lone  mosquito  shows  his  bill, 
And,  boring  deep,  secures  his  fill." 

"Hold  on,  there!"  came  from  Dick.  "I  draw 
the  lir^e  on  mosquitoes  in  poetry.  They  can  do 
their  own  singing." 


76          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"And  stinging,"  added  Fred  gayly. 

"Mape  I  vos  make  some  boultry  vonce,  ain't 
it?"  said  Hans  calmly. 

"That's  it,  Hans,"  cried  Sam.  "Go  ahead,  by 
all  means."  And  the  German  youth  started: 

"Der  sky  vos  green,  der  grass  vos  plue — 
I  sit  town  to  an  oyster  stew; 
Der  pirds  vos  singing  all  der  night — 
You  vill  get  choked  of  your  collar  is  tight! 
Oh,  see  der  rooster  scratching  hay — 
Ven  der  pand  begins  to  blay! 
At  night  der  sun  goes  town  to  ped — 
Und  cofers  mid  clouds  his  old  red  head! 
At  night  der  moon  she  vinks  at  me — -" 

" for  making  such  bad  poetree!" 

finished  Tom,  and  added  with  a  groan:  "Hans, 
did  you  really  make  that  all  up  by  yourself?" 

"Sure  I  did,"  was  the  proud  answer. 

"You  must  have  had  to  eat  an  awful  lot  of 
mince  pie  to  do  it,"  put  in  Sam. 

"Vot  has  mince  bie  to  do  mit  boultry?" 

"It's  got  a  lot  to  do  with  such  poetry  as  that," 
murmured  Songbird  in  disgust. 

"Oh,  I  know  vots  der  madder.  You  vos  Jealous 
of  me,  hey?" 

"Sure  he  is  jealous,  Hans,"  said  Dick.  "Song 
bird  couldn't  make  up  such  poetry  in  a  hundred 
years." 


HANS  AS  A  POET  77 

"It  runs  in  der  family,"  went  on  the  German 
boy  calmly.  "Mine  granfadder  he  vonce  wrote 
a  song.  Da  sung  him  py  a  funeral.'* 

"Did  it  kill  anybody?"  asked  Fred. 

"Not  much!  It  vos  a  brize  song.  He  got  a 
dollar  for  doing  it." 

"It  must  run  in  the  family,  like  wooden  legs 
among  the  soldiers,"  said  Tom,  and  there  the  fun 
for  the  time  being  came  to  an  end. 

The  road  now  ran  up  a  hill,  and  then  they  came 
to  a  thick  patch  of  timber.  Before  they  left  the 
timber,  they  rested  for  their  mid-day  lunch,  camp 
ing  out,  as  suited  them. 

"This  is  something  like,"  remarked  Fred.  "I 
think  it  first-rate." 

"It  is  very  nice  to  be  outdoors  when  it  doesn't 
rain,"  answered  Dick. 

"How  nice  it  would  be  if  we  had  the  girls 
along,"  said  Sam. 

"Oh,  ho !  Sam  is  pining  for  Grace !"  cried  Tom 
teasingly. 

"Pooh!  you  needn't  to  blow,"  returned  the 
youngest  Rover,  blushing.  "Last  night  you  called 
out  for  Nellie  in  your  sleep.  You  must  have  been 
dreaming  of  her." 

"I'll  dream  you!"  burst  out  Tom,  getting  as 
red  as  Sam  had  been,  and  he  made  a  move  as  if 
to  throw  a  cup  of  coffee  at  his  brother. 


;8    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Children!  children!"  said  Dick  sweetly.  "I 
am — er — amazed." 

"He's  sorry  because  you  forgot  to  mention 
Dora,"  said  the  irrepressible  Tom.  ''Now,  Dora 
is  just  the  cutest " 

"Avast,  Tom,  or  you  will  get  it,"  said  Dick. 
"We  haven't  got  the  girls  with  us,  so  let  us  drop 
the  subject." 

It  was  very  pleasant  in  the  timber,  and  they  did 
not  leave  until  thoroughly  rested.  Near  at  hand 
was  a  small  but  pure  stream,  and  here  they 
washed  up  and  watered  their  horses. 

While  the  others  were  at  the  stream,  Tom  wan 
dered  off  in  the  direction  of  the  road.  Now  they 
saw  him  coming  back  full  of  excitement. 

"Whom  do  you  suppose  I  saw  on  the  road?" 
he  said. 

"Give  it  up,"  returned  Fred. 

"Dan  Baxter." 

"Baxter!"  came  in  a  chorus. 

"Yes.  He  was  with  that  fellow  who  was  at 
the  hotel,  the  chap  with  the  bushy  hair,"  added 
Tom  to  Dick.  "The  man  who  asked  so  many 
questions." 

"Were  they  on  horseback?"  asked  Sam. 

"Yes.  When  Baxter  saw  me,  he  looked  fright 
ened.  I  called  to  him  to  stop,  but  he  wouldn't 
do  it." 


HANS  AS  A  POET  79 

"Where  were  the  pair  going?"  asked  Dick  with 
interest. 

"In  the  same  direction  we  are  going." 

"Perhaps  we  can  catch  up  with  them,"  went  on 
Dick.  "Anyway,  it  is  worth  trying." 

A  minute  later  all  were  in  the  saddle  and  on  the 
trail  once  more. 


CHAPTER    X 

A   TWENTY-DOLLAR    BILL 

"IT'S  odd  that  Dan  Baxter  should  be  out  here," 
observed  Sam  as  they  journeyed  along.  "Can  he 
be  following  us?" 

"It  is  possible,"  returned  Dick.  "You  know  he 
would  do  almost  anything  to  harm  us." 

"He  has  got  to  keep  his  distance,"  said  Fred. 
"I  shan't  put  up  with  any  more  of  his  games." 

When  they  came  to  a  turn  of  the  road,  they 
saw  Dan  Baxter  and  the  bushy-haired  man  a  long 
distance  ahead.  The  former  bully  of  Putnam 
Hall  was  on  the  lookout  for  them  and  at  once 
urged  his  steed  onward  at  an  increased  rate  of 
speed. 

"He  means  to  get  away  if  he  possibly  can," 
cried  Songbird.  "If  we  want  to  catch  him,  we 
have  got  to  do  our  utmost." 

On  and  on  they  rode,  until  another  turn  hid 
Baxter  and  his  companion  from  view  again. 

The  bully  was  frightened,  for  he  did  not  know 
what  would  happen  to  him  if  he  was  caught  by 

80 


A   TWENTY-DOLLAR  BILL  81 

the  Rovers  and  their  friends  in  such  a  lonely  spot 
as  this. 

The  man  who  was  with  him,  a  fellow  named 
Sack  Todd,  noticed  his  anxiety,  and  smiled  grimly 
to  himself. 

"You're  mighty  anxious  to  git  away  from  them 
fellows,"  he  remarked. 

"Well,  if  I  am,  what  of  it?"  returned  Dan  Bax 
ter  sharply.  So  many  things  had  gone  wrong 
lately  that  he  was  thoroughly  out  of  humor. 

"Oh,  I  allow  you  have  a  perfect  right  to  give 
'em  the  go-by  if  you  want  to,"  answered  Sack 
Todd.  "I  wouldn't  mind  helpin'  you  a  bit — may 
be.  Tell  me  about  'em,  will  you?" 

"They  are  fellows  I  hate,  and  I've  always  hated 
them !"  cried  the  bully  fiercely.  "We  used  to  go 
to  the  same  boarding  academy,  and  they  did  their 
best  to  get  me  into  trouble.  Then  I  tried  to  get 
square,  and  that  put  me  in  hot  water  and  I  had  to 
leave.  After  that,  we  had  more  trouble.  They 
tried  to  prove  I  was  a  criminal." 

"I  see.    Go  on." 

"It's  a  long  story.  I  hate  'em,  and  I'd  do  al- . 
most  anything  to  get  square  with  them." 

"Good  for  you!"  cried  Sack  Todd.  "I  like  a 
fellow  who  wants  to  stand  up  for  himself.  But 
just  now  you  are  running  away." 


82    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  can't  stand  up  against  such  a  crowd  alone. 
But  some  day  it  will  be  different." 

"Let  us  turn  down  a  side  road,"  said  Sack 
Todd.  "That  will  throw  'em  off  the  scent." 

He  was  a  good  judge  of  character,  and  fancied 
he  cculd  read  Baxter's  story  fairly  well.  The 
young  man  had  come  down  in  the  world,  and  he 
was  bitter  against  everybody  and  everything. 

They  passed  down  a  side  path  and  then  on  to  a 
trail  that  was  all  but  hidden  by  the  grass  and 
bushes. 

"It's  a  short  cut  to  Cottonton,"  said  the  man. 
"We  can  reach  there  in  no  time  by  this  trail. 
Very  few,  though,  know  of  the  route." 

As  they  rode  along  the  half-hidden  trail,  he 
questioned  Dan  Baxter  more  closely  than  ever, 
and  as  a  result  learned  as  much  as  he  cared  to 
know.  He  realized  that  the  former  bully  was 
hard  up  and  ready  to  do  almost  anything  to  make 
some  money.  What  he  had  possessed,  he  had 
spent  in  gambling  and  other  forms  of  fast  living. 

"Perhaps  I  can  put  you  in  the  way  of  making 
some  money,"  said  Sack  Todd  slowly.  "That  is, 
if  you  are  not  over  particular  as  to  what  it  is,"  he 
added,  looking  at  Baxter  sharply. 

"I'm  not  looking  for  hard  work,  thank  you," 
was  the  ready  answer.  "I  am  not  used  to  that 
sort  of  thing:,  and  couldn't  stand  it." 


A   TWENTY-DOLLAR  BILL  83 

'This  sort  of  work  would  be  easy  enough. 
But  it  would  require  judgment — and  a  little  nerve 
at  first." 

"Well,  I  think  I  have  fairly  good  judgment, 
and,  as  for  nerve — why,  try  me,  that's  all." 

"Then  there  is  another  point  to  the  business. 
You'd  have  to  drive  some  pretty  sharp  bargains." 

"I  can  do  that." 

"Sometimes  the  goods  are  not  exactly  as 
represented " 

"I  guess  I  understand,  and  that  wouldn't  stop 
me,"  and  Dan  Baxter  grinned.  "But  I'd  want 
pretty  good  pay." 

"I  think  I  can  make  that  suitable — after  we 
know  each  other  better,"  said  Sack  Todd. 

He  continued  to  draw  Baxter  out,  and  hinted 
at  a  scheme  to  make  big  money.  At  last,  the 
former  bully  of  Putnam  Hall  could  stand  it  no 
longer. 

"See  here,"  he  cried.  "If  you  mean  business, 
spit  out  what  is  in  your  mind.  You  can  trust 
me  with  anything.  I  am  not  of  the  milk-and- 
water  sort.  I  am  out  for  money,  first,  last  and 
all  the  time." 

"Then  you  are  a  fellow  after  my  own  heart," 
answered  the  man.  "I  reckon  we  can  come  to 
terms.  But  not  just  yet." 


84          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Well,  I've  got  to  have  something  pretty  quick, 
I  am  next  to  dead-broke." 

"Perhaps  I  can  help  you  out  a  bit." 

"I  wish  you  would." 

"Here  is  twenty  dollars.  I  reckon  that  will 
prove  that  I  am  taking  an  interest  in  you."  And 
the  bright,  crisp  bill  was  handed  over. 

"Money  talks!"  cried  Dan  Baxter.  He  gazed 
at  the  bank  note  in  genuine  pleasure.  "I  am 
much  obliged." 

"Here  is  where  I  must  leave  you,"  went  on 
Sack  Todd  as  they  reached  a  crossing  in  the  trails. 
"Keep  right  on,  and  you'll  soon  come  in  sight  of 
Cottonton.  Meet  me  there  to-night  at  the 
Planters'  Rest." 

"I  will." 

"You  had  better  keep  out  of  sight — if  those 
Rovers  are  on  your  trail." 

"Trust  me  to  lay  low,"  said  Baxter  with  a  short 
laugh. 

In  another  moment  the  former  bully  of  Putnam 
Hall  found  himself  alone.  Sack  Todd  had  gal 
loped  off  at  a  high  rate  of  speed. 

"He  is  certainly  an  odd  sort,"  mused  Baxter. 
"But  I  guess  he  means  to  do  right  by  me,  or  he 
wouldn't  lend  me  a  twenty  so  readily.  He  must 
be  used  to  handling  big  money,  by  the  roll  of 
bills  he  carried.  I  wish  I  possessed  such  a  roll. 


A  TWENTY-DOLLAR  BILL  85 

There  must  have  been  several  hundred  dollars  in 
it,  at  least." 

He  felt  to  make  sure  that  the  bill  was  safe  in 
his  pocket,  and  then  continued  on  his  journey. 
Several  times  he  looked  back,  but  he  could  see 
nothing  of  the  Rover  boys  or  their  friends. 

Dan  Baxter  felt  particularly  downcast  and  des 
perate.  Since  the  capture  of  Lew  Flapp,  he  had 
been  without  a  companion  in  whom  to  confide, 
and  the  peculiar  loneliness  among  utter  strangers 
was  beginning  to  tell  on  him.  This  was  one 
reason  why  he  had  told  Sack  Todd  so  much  of 
his  story. 

Coming  to  the  end  of  the  timber  and  brush 
wood,  he  saw,  lying  before  him  in  something  of  a 
valley,  the  town  of  Cottonton,  consisting  of  sev 
eral  well  laid  out  streets  and  an  outlying  district 
of  pretty  homes.  At  a  distance  was  the  regular 
road,  but  so  far  his  enemies  were  not  in  sight. 

The  ride  had  made  Baxter  hungry  and,  reach 
ing  the  town,  he  lost  no  time  in  hunting  up  a  mod 
est  restaurant  on  a  side  street,  where,  he  hoped, 
the  Rovers  would  not  find  him. 

"What  can  you  give  me  for  dinner?"  he  asked. 
"I  want  something  good." 

A  number  of  dishes  were  named  over,  and  he 
selected  roast  beef,  potatoes,  beans,  coffee  and  pie. 
He  was  quickly  served,  and  pitched  in  with  a  will. 


86          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Riding  makes  a  fellow  feel  hungry,"  he  ex 
plained  to  the  proprietor  of  the  eating  house,  who 
hovered  near. 

"Yes,  sah,  so  it  does.  Going  to  stay  in  town, 
sah?" 

"I  don't  know  yet.    I'm  just  looking  around." 

"Yes,  sah,  certainly.  If  you  stay,  I'll  be  pleased 
to  furnish  meals  regularly,  sah." 

"I'll  remember  that." 

Having  disposed  of  the  meal  and  also  an  extra 
cup  of  coffee,  Dan  Baxter  called  for  a  cigar  and 
lit  it.  Then  he  hauled  out  the  twenty-dollar  bill. 
As  he  did  so,  he  gave  a  slight  start.  He  had 
handled  a  good  deal  of  money  in  his  time,  and  the 
bank  bill  looked  just  a  bit  peculiar  to  him. 

"What  if  it  isn't  good?"  he  asked  himself. 

"Forty-five  cents,  please,"  said  the  restaurant 
keeper.  His  usual  price  for  such  a  meal  was 
thirty  cents,  but  he  thought  Baxter  could  stand 
the  raise. 

"Sorry  I  haven't  a  smaller  bill,"  answered  the 
bully  coolly.  "I  ought  to  have  asked  the  bank 
cashier  to  give  me  smaller  bills." 

"I  reckon  I  can  change  it,  sah,"  said  the  res 
taurant  man,  thinking  only  of  the  extra  fifteen 
cents  he  was  to  receive. 

"Take  out  half  a  dollar  and  have  a  cigar  on 
me,"  continued  Baxter  magnanimously. 


A  TWENTY-DOLLAR  BILL  87 

"Yes,  sah;  thank  you,  sah !"  said  the  man. 

He  fumbled  around,  and  in  a  minute  counted 
out  nineteen  dollars  and  a  half  in  change. 
Pocketing  the  amount,  the  bully  walked  out, 
mounted  his  horse  once  more  and  rode  away. 

"Nice  chap,  to  pay  forty-five  cents  and  then 
treat  me  to  a  cigar,"  thought  the  restaurant 
keeper.  "Wish  I  had  that  sort  coming  in  every 
day." 

He  lit  the  cigar  and  smoked  it  with  a  relish, 
particularly  so  as  it  had  not  cost  him  anything. 
He  put  the  twenty-dollar  bill  away,  to  use  when 
he  should  go  to  a  neighboring  city  to  buy  some 
household  goods,  two  days  later. 

When  he  went  to  buy  his  things,  they  came  to 
twenty-six  dollars,  and  he  passed  over  the  new 
twenty-dollar  bill,  and  also  an  old  one  received 
some  weeks  before. 

"I'll  have  to  get  change  at  the  bank,"  said  the 
store  keeper,  and  left  his  place  to  do  so.  In  a 
few  minutes  he  came  back  in  a  hurry. 

"See  here,"  he  cried.  "They  tell  me  one  of 
•  these  bills  is  a  counterfeit." 

"A  counterfeit !"  gasped  the  restaurant  man. 

"So  the  bank  cashier  says." 

"Which  bill?" 

"The  new  one." 


88          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"You  don't  mean  it !  Why,  I  took  that  bill  in 
only  a  couple  of  days  ago." 

'Then  you  got  stuck,  Mr.  Golden." 

"Is  he  sure  it's  a  counterfeit?" 

"Dead  certain  of  it.  He  says  it's  rather  a 
clever  imitation,  and  that  a  number  of  them  are 
afloat  around  these  parts.  Where  did  you  get  it  ?" 

"A  stranger  gave  it  to  me,"  groaned  the  res 
taurant  keeper.  "I  thought  he  was  mighty 
smooth.  He  treated  me  to  a  cigar !  I  wish  I  had 
him  here!" 

"You  had  better  watch  out  for  him." 

"Sure  I  will.  But  I  suppose  he'll  know  enough 
to  keep  out  of  my  way,"  added  the  man  who  had 
been  victimized. 


CHAPTER   XI 

A    MIDNIGHT   SCARE 

THE  Rovers  reached  Cottonton  without  catch 
ing  sight  of  Dan  Baxter  again,  nor  did  they  locate 
him  while  stopping  at  the  town. 

"He  knows  enough  to  keep  out  of  our  way," 
remarked  Dick.  "Even  now  he  may  be  watching 
every  move  we  make." 

They  did  not  remain  in  Cottonton  long,  and 
that  night  found  them  once  more  on  a  trail  leading 
to  another  patch  of  timber.  All  were  in  excellent 
spirits,  and  Hans  enlivened  the  time  by  singing 
a  song  in  his  broken  English  in  a  manner  which 
convulsed  them  all. 

"Hans  would  make  his  fortune  on  the  variety 
stage,"  remarked  Fred.  "His  manner  is  too 
furmv  for  anything." 

"Vot  you  said  apout  a  stage?"  demanded  the 
German  youth.  "I  ton't  vos  ride  on  no  stage  ven 
I  got  a  goot  horse  alretty." 

"Fred  wants  you  to  go  on  the  stage,"  said 
Sam. 

89 


9o          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"He  thinks  you  might  play  Shakespeare,"  said 
Tom. 

"Vot  kind  of  a  play  is  dot  Shakespeares  ?" 

"It's  a  farce  in  'steen  acts  and  twice  as  many 
scenes,"  said  Dick.  "You  might  play  the  double- 
tongued  mute." 

"I  like  not  such  a  blay.  I  like  dot  blay  vere  da 
vos  all  killed  off  kvick." 

"Good  gracious!  Hans  wants  to  go  in  for 
tragedy!"  ejaculated  Tom.  "Who  would  think 
he  was  so  bloodthirsty.  If  you  keep  on  like  that, 
Hansy,  dear,  I'll  be  afraid  you'll  murder  us  in  our 
sleep." 

"I  like  dem  murders.  Da  vos  alvays  make  dem 
goose  skins  mine  back  town." 

At  this  there  was  a  general  roar. 

"  'Goose  skins'  is  good,"  came  from  Fred. 

"Vot  you  laffin'  at,  hey?"  demanded  Hans. 

"Nothing." 

"Dere  don't  been  noddings  to  laugh  at  by  a 
murder,  not  so  ?" 

"That's  true,  Hansy,"  said  Sam. 

"Maybe  of  you  vos  killed,  you  vould  sit  ub  and 
laugh  at  him,  hey?" 

"I  shouldn't  laugh,"  said  Tom.  "I'd  keep  quiet 
about  it." 

"Yah,  I  know  you,  Tom  Rofer.    I  bet  you  six- 


A  MIDNIGHT  SCARE  91 

teen  cents  I  vos  a  better  actor  mans  as  you  been/' 
continued  Hans,  warming  up. 

"I  don't  doubt  it,  Hansy.  Some  day  we'll  put 
you  on  the  stage." 

"Of  I  got  on  der  stage,  I  make  me  a  hundred 
dollars  a  veek,  I  pet  you  my  head !" 

"Maybe  you'd  make  two  hundred,  Hans,"  sug 
gested  Songbird. 

"You  all  peen  jealous  of  vot  I  can  do.  But 
some  day  I  vos  show  you,  you  see!"  cried  the 
German  youth,  and  rode  on  ahead,  somewhat  out 
of  sorts. 

They  had  resolved  to  camp  out  that  night  in 
true  hunter  fashion,  and  approaching  a  spot  that 
looked  inviting,  they  came  to  a  halt.  The 
place1  was  some  distance  from  the  road  and  ideal 
in  many  respects,  being  on  high  ground  and  with 
a  spring  of  pure  water  flowing  into  a  tiny  brook 
but  fifty  feet  away. 

As  they  had  no  tent,  they  proceeded  to  make 
a  shelter  of  boughs,  and  covered  the  flooring  with 
the  same  material.  In  the  meantime,  a  campfire 
was  lit,  and  two  of  the  number  set  about  preparing 
the  supper  which  had  been  brought  along. 

"This  is  all  very  well,  when  one  has  his  stuff 
with  him,"  observed  Fred.  "But  if  we  had  to  go 
out  and  shoot  game  or  catch  fish,  it  would  be  a 
different  story." 


9a          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Pooh,  as  if  we  haven't  done  that !"  cried  Tom. 
"I  shouldn't  like  anything  better  than  to  go  out 
into  the  woods  for  a  month." 

By  the  time  the  shelter  was  in  readiness  for  the 
night,  the  supper  was  cooked,  and  all  sat  around 
the  campfire  to  partake  of  the  meal.  A  certain 
part  of  it  had  been  slightly  burnt,  but  to  this  no 
body  paid  attention,  although  it  would  have  been 
noticed  if  this  had  occurred  at  home  or  at  a  hotel. 
But  camping  out  makes  such  a  difference,  doesn't 
it,  boys? 

"Supposing  some  wild  animals  came  along  to 
eat  us  up?"  said  Sam  when  they  were  finishing 
their  meal. 

"Are  there  any  wild  animals  around  here?" 
questioned  Songbird. 

"I  am  sure  I  don't  know.  There  may  be  bobcats 
in  the  timber." 

"Vot  is  a  popcat?"  asked  Hans. 

"It's  a  kind  of  a  wildcat — very  strong  and  very 
fierce." 

"Of  dot  peen  der  case,  I  ton't  vonts  to  meet 
Mr.  Popcat." 

"I  don't  think  any  of  us  want  to  meet  such  a 
beast,"  said  Tom.  "Is  anybody  to  stay  on  guard 
to-night?" 

"Don't  ask  me—  I'm  too  dead  tired,"  said  Dick 
oromptly. 


A  MIDNIGHT  SCARE  9$ 

i 

"Nor  me!"  came  from  the  others. 

"Let  us  go  to  sleep  and  venture  it,"  said  Sam. 
"I  don't  think  a  thing  will  come  near  us." 

So  it  was  decided,  and  as  soon  as  the  campfire 
began  to  die  down,  one  after  another  of  the  boys 
retired.  Songbird  was  the  last  to  lie  down,  and 
soon  he  was  slumbering  as  peacefully  as  the  rest. 

Sam  had  been  sleeping  perhaps  three  hours, 
when  he  woke  up  with  a  slight  start.  He  sat  up 
and  tried  to  pierce  the  darkness  around  him. 

"Did  anybody  call?"  he  questioned  after  a 
pause. 

Nobody  answered,  and  he  listened  attentively. 
The  horses  had  been  tethered  in  the  bushes  close 
to  the  shelter,  and  now  he  heard  several  of  the 
animals  move  around  uneasily. 

"Something  must  be  disturbing  them,"  he  told 
himself.  "I'll  have  to  get  up  and  see  what  it  is." 

At  first,  he  thought  he  would  arouse  some  of 
the  others,  but  all  appeared  to  be  sleeping  so 
soundly  he  hated  to  do  so. 

"They  won't  thank  me  for  waking  them  up, 
unless  it  is  worth  while,"  was  what  he  told 
himself. 

He  arose  and  felt  his  way  over  the  others  who 
lay  between  himself  and  the  opening  of  the  shel 
ter.  Outside,  there  was  no  moon,  but  the  stars 


94          THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

were  shining  brightly,  and  he  could  make  out 
objects  that  were  not  too  far  off. 

As  he  moved  toward  the  horses,  he  heard  a 
rustling  in  the  bushes.  He  strained  his  eyes  and 
1  made  out  a  dark  form  stealing  along  close  to  the 
ground. 

"A  wild  beast !"  he  muttered.  "I  wish  I  had  a 
gun." 

He  turned  back  to  the  shelter  and  aroused 
Dick,  and  then  Tom.  This  awoke  all  of  the 
others. 

"What's  the  matter?"  questioned  Dick,  as  he 
got  out  a  pistol. 

"Some  sort  of  a  wild  animal  is  prowling  around 
this  place." 

"Py  chiminy!  Vos  it  von  of  dem  catpobs?" 
ejaculated  Hans,  turning  pale. 

"I  don't  know  what  it  is." 

"Where  is  it  now  ?"  came  from  Fred. 

"I  don't  know  that,  either.  It  was  slinking 
around  yonder  bushes  a  minute  ago." 

"Let  us  stir  up  the  fire,"  put  in  Songbird.  "All 
wild  animals  hate  a  big  blaze."  And  he  set  the 
'  example,  and  Hans  helped  to  heap  up  the 
brushwood. 

"I  ton't  vont  to  become  acquainted  mit  dem  cat 
pobs  nohow,"  said  the  German  youth.  "He  can 
.go  avay  so  kvick  like  he  come." 


A  MIDNIGHT  SCARE  95. 

After  the  fire  was  brightened,  there  came  a 
painful  pause.  Each  boy  was  on  his  guard,  with 
eyes  straining  from  their  sockets. 

"I  see  something!"  cried  Fred  suddenly. 

"Where?"  asked  the  others  in  a  breath. 

"There— but  it's  gone  now." 

Again  they  waited,  and  soon  came  a  rustling  on 
the  other  side  of  the  camp,  followed  by  the  crack 
ing  of  a  bone  which  had  been  thrown  away  during 
the  evening  repast. 


'There  he  is !' 


VI 

"Shoot  him!" 


"No,  don't  shoot !"  burst  out  Tom.  "I  know 
what  it  is." 

"What?" 

"Nothing  but  a  dog/' 

"Nonsense." 

"I  say  it  is."  Tom  began  to  whistle.  "Come 
here,  old  boy,"  he  went  on.  "Good  dog,  come 
here." 

At  this,  the  animal  stopped  crunching  the  bone 
and  came  forward  slowly  and  suspiciously.  It 
was  indeed  a  large,  black  dog,  with  curly  hair 
and  lean  sides. 

"Hullo!"  cried  Sam.  "Come  here,  that's  a 
good  dog.  Say,  fellows,  he  looks  half  starved." 

"Are  you  sure  it  ain't  no  catpob?"  queried 
Hans  anxiously. 


96    THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Yes,  Hans,"  answered  Songbird.  "He  is 
nothing  but  a  dog,  and  rather  friendly  at  that" 

The  dog  came  closer,  wagging  his  tail  slowly 
and  suspiciously.  Dick  put  out  his  hand  and 
patted  him,  and  then  he  waved  his  tail  in  a  vigor 
ous  fashion. 

"He  is  willing  enough  to  be  friends,"  said  the 
eldest  Rover.  "I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  is 
homeless." 

"In  that  case,  we  might  adopt  him,"  said  Tom, 
who  loved  a  nice  dog. 

"Let  us  try  him  on  something  to  eat,"  put  in 
Songbird.  "There  is  no  meat  left  on  that  bone." 

Some  things  had  been  saved  for  breakfast,  and 
a  portion  was  set  before  the  newcomer.  He 
devoured  it  greedily  and  wagged  his  tail  furiously. 

"He  feels  at  home  now,"  said  Dick,  and  he  was 
right.  The  dog  leaped  up,  first  on  one  and  then 
another,  and  licked  their  hands. 

"What's  your  name?"  asked  Tom,  and  the  dog 
wagged  his  tail  and  gave  a  low,  joyful  bark. 

"Better  call  him  Wags,"  suggested  Sam.  'He 
seems  to  be  death  on  keeping  that  tail  going. u 

"Wags  it  is,"  announced  Tom.  "How  do  you 
like  it,  Wags,  old  boy?"  And  the  dog  barked 
again  and  leaped  up  and  down  several  times  in 
joy. 

"Veil,  he  vos  goot  enough,"  was  Hans'  com- 


A  MIDNIGHT  SCARE  97 

ment.  "Bud  I  ton't  see  vy  he  couldn't  introduce 
himselluf  by  der  daydime  alretty.  I  vos  going  to 
ped  again,"  and  he  rubbed  his  eyes  sleepily. 

"So  am  I  going  to  bed,"  said  Fred.  "Tom,  are 
you  going  to  stay  awake  to  watch  the  dog?" 

"No,  he  is  going  to  sleep  with  me,"  answered 
the  fun-loving  youth.  "Come  on,  Wags,  get 
your  nightcap  and  come  to  bed." 

He  made  a  certain  move  of  his  hand  and  the 
canine  suddenly  sat  upon  his  haunches  and  cocked 
his  head  to  one  side. 

"Hullo,  he's  a  trick  dog!"  exclaimed  Dick. 
"Shake  hands,"  and  the  dog  did  so.  Then,  as 
Sam  snapped  his  fingers,  the  animal  began  to  walk 
around  the  camp  on  his  hind  legs. 

"I'll  wager  he  knows  a  lot  of  tricks,"  said  Tom. 
"And,  if  so,  he  must  be  valuable." 

"Then  whoever  owns  him  will  want  him  back," 
was  Songbird's  comment. 

"Well,  I  guess  he  can  travel  with  us  until  some 
body  claims  him,"  said  Tom;  and  so  it  was 
decided. 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE    RUNAWAY    STEER 

ON  the  following1  morning-  there  was  the  prom 
ise  of  a  storm  in  the  air,  and  the  boys  felt  a  bit 
blue  over  the  prospects.  But,  by  nine  o'clock,  the 
sun  came  out  as  brightly  as  ever  and  they  were 
correspondingly  elated. 

"I  don't  care  to  do  any  camping  out  in  wet 
weather,"  said  Fred.  "I  got  enough  of  that  at 
the  Hall." 

"Well,  when  you  camp  out,  you  must  take  what 
comes,  as  the  shark  said  when  he  swallowed  a 
naval  officer  and  found  a  sword  sticking  in  his 
throat,"  answered  Tom.  "We  can't  have  the 
weather  built  to  order  for  anybody." 

Wags  was  up  and  moving  around,  with  his 
tail  wagging  as  furiously  as  ever.  He  seemed  to 
feel  perfectly  at  home. 

"Acts  as  if  he  had  known  us  all  our  lives,"  said 
Dick.  "He  is  certainly  a  fine  creature,  or  he  will 
be  after  he  is  fed  up  a  bit." 

"If  he  belongs  around  here,  I  don't  see  how  he 
should  be  starved,"  said  Sam. 

98 


THE  RUNAWAY  STEER  99 

"Well,  you  must  remember,  there  are  some 
pretty  poor  folks  living  in  these  parts,  Sam.  The 
colored  folks  are  passionately  fond  of  dogs,  and 
very  often  they  don't  have  enough  to  support 
themselves." 

"I  am  going  to  claim  Wags  as  my  own  until 
his  rightful  owner  comes  along,"  announced  Tom. 
"Maybe  I'll  even  take  him  home  with  me.  Our 
old  dog  is  dead." 

This  was  final,  and  nobody  saw  fit  to  dispute 
the  decision.  So  Wags  was  given  his  breakfast, 
after  which  the  party  struck  camp,  and  the  jour 
ney  for  the  Denton  plantation  was  continued. 

The  timber  passed,  they  came  out  on  a  long 
stretch  of  prairie  land  leading  to  the  high  hills 
beyond. 

"Here  we  are  on  the  plains !"  cried  Sam.  "Who 
wants  to  race?"  And  off  he  rode  at  top  speed, 
with  some  of  the  others  following.  Even  Wags 
seemed  to  enjoy  the  brush,  and  barked  continually 
as  he  ran  ahead  and  leaped  up  before  one  horse 
and  then  another. 

Sam's  wild  ride  on  the  plains  lasted  rather 
longer  than  the  others  had  anticipated,  and  when 
it  came  to  an  end,  all  found  themselves  away  from 
the  beaten  trail  which  they  had  been  pursuing. 
They  came  to  a  sudden  stop  and  gazed  around  in 
perplexity. 


loo        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Here's  a  mess,"  said  Dick. 

"Where's  the  trail?" 

"That  is  what  I  want  to  know." 

"I  think  it  is  over  yonder." 

"I  think  it  is  in  the  opposite  direction." 

All  of  the  boys  began  to  talk  at  once,  and  then 
followed  a  dead  silence  for  several  seconds. 

"One  thing  is  certain — the  trail  can't  be  in  two 
directions,"  said  Tom. 

"He  can  pe  if  he  vos  krooked,"  said  Hans 
wisely. 

"It  was  a  fairly  straight  trail,"  observed  Fred. 
"I  can't  see  how  we  happened  to  leave  it." 

"I  was  following  Sam,"  said  Songbird.  "You 
can't  blame  me." 

"So  was  I  following  Sam,"  added  several  of 
the  others. 

"And  I  was  having  a  good  time  on  the  horse," 
said  the  youngest  Rover.  "I  thought  in  the 
bunch  there  would  be  at  least  one  who  would 
look  after  the  trail." 

"So  it  is  really  nobody's  fault,"  said  Dick 
quickly,  to  avoid  a  possible  quarrel.  "The  ques 
tion  is :  how  are  we  going  to  find  the  trail  again  ?" 

"I  know  how,"  put  in  Hans  calmly. 

"How?" 

"I,ook  for  him." 


THE  RUNAWAY  STEER  101 

"Thanks,  awfully,"  said  Tom.  "That  is  a 
bright  as  a  burnt-out  match." 

"Just  the  same,  that  is  what  we  will  have  to  do, 
Tom,"  said  Dick.  "Let  us  divide  up,  and  some 
go  to  the  right  and  some  to  the  left." 

This  was  considered  a  good  plan  and  was 
carried  out  without  delay.  Ten  minutes  later, 
Songbird  set  up  a  shout : 

"Upon  this  ground, 
The  trail  is  found. 
All  come  right  here 
And  see  it  clear." 

"Good  for  Songbird!"  cried  Tom.  "He  gets 
a  last  year's  tomato  as  a  reward.  Songbird,  will 
you  have  it  in  tissue  paper  or  a  trunk  ?" 

"Well,  the  trail  is  plain  enough,"  was  Dick's 
comment,  as  he  came  riding  up.  "I  can't  see  how 
we  missed  such  a  well-defined  path." 

The  run  had  tired  their  horses  somewhat,  and 
all  were  willing  to  proceed  further  on  a  walk. 
They  were  coming  to  a  fringe  of  bushes  on  the 
plain,  and  here  found  a  stream  of  water. 

"Not  a  ranch  or  a  plantation  of  any  kind  in 
sight,"  announced  Fred  as  he  gazed  around  while 
some  of  the  steeds  obtained  a  drink.  "What  a 
wilderness  certain  portions  of  our  country  are!" 

"Plenty  of  chances  for  emigrants,"  returned 


ID2        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Songbird.  "We  are  a  long  way  from  being 
filled  up." 

"The  trouble  is,  so  I  have  heard  father  say, 
so  many  of  the  emigrants  stay  in  the  big  cities, 
rather  than  come  out  to  the  country,"  put  in 
Sam. 

Having  rested  for  a  spell  at  the  brook,  they 
proceeded  on  their  way  once  more.  The  air  was 
growing  warmer  and,  as  the  sun  mounted  higher 
in  the  sky,  they  wished  they  were  in  the  shadow 
of  a  forest  once  more. 

"What  a  journey  it  must  be  to  cover  some  of 
the  immense  Western  plains  on  horseback,"  re 
marked  Songbird.  "To  ride  for  miles  and  miles 
— maybe  all  day — without  seeing  a  cabin  or  a 
human  being." 

"We  know  something  of  that,"  answered  Dick. 
"We  liked  our  trip  out  West,  though,"  he  added. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  they 
reached  the  first  stunted  growth  of  timber  grow 
ing  at  the  base  of  the  hills  toward  which  they  had 
been  journeying.  At  noon,  as  it  was  so  hot,  they 
had  not  stopped  for  lunch,  and  now  they  pro 
ceeded  to  make  themselves  comfortable  on  a  patch 
of  thick  grass.  Even  Wags  was  willing  to  lie 
down  and  stretch  out.  The  dog  acted  as  if  he 
had  been  a  member  of  the  party  since  starting 
from  home. 


THE  RUNAWAY  STEER  103 

"Are  you  going  to  blame  me  for  going  wrong?" 
demanded  the  poetic  youth. 

"I  wonder  if  he  would  be  any  good  after 
game?"  said  Sam  as  he  looked  at  Wags. 

"I  doubt  it,"  said  Tom.  "An  educated  dog — 
that  is,  a  trick  dog — rarely  knows  anything  else. 
But,  nevertheless,  I  think  Wags  remarkably 
bright." 

It  was  not  until  four  o'clock  that  they  went  on 
once  more.  According  to  what  they  had  been 
told,  they  ought  now  to  be  coming  in  sight  of  a 
cattle  ranch  kept  by  some  old  cattle  men,  but 
nothing  like  a  ranch  appeared. 

"This  is  queer,  to  say  the  least,"  remarked 
Tom  as  they  came  to  a  halt  in  a  small  clearing. 
"What  do  you  make  of  it,  Dick?" 

"I  shouldn't  like  to  say,  just  yet." 

"Do  you  think  we  are  on  the  wrong  trail?" 
queried  Fred  quickly. 

"We  may  be." 

"Of  dot  is  so,  den,  py  Jiminatics,  ve  vos  lost !" 
ejaculated  Hans.  "Now,  vosn't  dot  lofly 
alretty?" 

"Lost?"  cried  Fred. 

"That's  the  size  of  it,"  cried  Songbird.  "We 
must  have  taken  to  the  wrong  trail  after  our  little 
race." 

"You  found  the  trail  for  us,"  remarked  Tom 
dryly. 


104        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Dick.  "All  of  us  were 
to  blame,  for  we  all  thought  it  was  the  right 
trail.  The  one  question  is :  where  are  we,  and 
where  is  the  right  trail?" 

"And  a  big  question  to  answer,  Dick,"  came1 
from  Sam.  "For  all  we  know,  we  may  be  miles 
and  miles  off  the  road." 

"No  use  of  crying  over  spilt  oil,  as  the  lamp 
said  to  the  wick,"  sang  out  Tom.  "I  move  we  go 
on  until  we  strike  a  ranch,  or  plantation,  or 
something." 

"That  is  what  we'll  have  to  do,  unless  we  want 
to  go  back." 

"No  going  back  in  this !"  shouted  several,  and 
then  they  moved  forward  as  before,  but  at  a 
slower  rate  of  speed. 

It  was  truly  warm  work,  and  it  must  be  con 
fessed  that  all  were  more  or  less  worried.  In  the 
last  town  at  which  they  had  stopped,  they  had 
met  a  number  of  undesirable  characters,  and  one 
man  had  told  Dick  that  not  a  few  outlaws  were 
roaming  around,  ready  to  pick  up  stray  horses, 
or  money,  or  whatever  they  could  get  their  hands , 
upon. 

They  were  passing  through  a  bit  of  sparse  tim 
ber,  when  they  heard  a  strange  tramping  at  a 
distance. 

"What  do  you  think  that  can  be?"  questioned 
Fred,  coming  to  a  halt,  followed  by  the  others. 


THE  RUNAWAY  STEER  105 

"Horses,"  suggested  Hans. 

"Sounds  to  me  like  cattle,"  said  Dick.  "But 
I  don't  see  so  much  as  a  cow,  do  you  ?" 

"Nothing  whatever  in  sight,"  said  Tom. 

As  the  noise  continued,  Sam's  horse  began  to 
grow  skittish  and  showed  some  inclination  to 
bolt. 

"Steady,  there !"  sang  out  the  youngest  Rover. 
"None  of  that,  now !"  and  he  did  his  best  to  hold 
the  steed  in  check. 

"Something  is  coming!"  cried  Tom  a  few  sec 
onds  later.  "Something  running  pretty  well, 
too!" 

By  instinct,  all  turned  to  the  side  of  the  trail, 
Sam  taking  a  position  between  a  clump  of  trees 
and  a  big  rock.  Swiftly  the  sound  came  closer, 
and  then  of  a  sudden  a  big  and  wild-looking 
steer  broke  into  view,  lumbering  along  the  trail 
at  his  best  speed. 

"A  steer!" 

"Look  out,  fellows,  he  is  wild  and  ugly !" 

"He  looks  as  if  he  meant  to  horn  somebody!" 

So  the  cries  rang  out,  and  all  of  the  boys  drew 
further  to  the  side  of  the  trail.  As  the  steer 
came  up,  he  paused  and  gazed  at  them  in  com 
mingled  wonder  and  anger. 

"He  is  going  to  charge — "  began  Tom,  when, 
with  a  fierce  snort,  the  steer  wheeled  to  one  side 
and  charged  upon  Sam  and  his  horse  at  full  speed ! 


CHAPTER    XIII 

JIM    JONES,    THE    COWBOY 

To  some  of  the  boys  it  looked  as  if  Sam  and 
his  steed  must  surely  be  seriously  injured,  if  not 
killed.  The  steer  was  large  and  powerful  look 
ing,  and  his  horns  were  sharp  enough  to  inflict 
serious  damage. 

"Back  up,  Sam !"  screamed  Tom. 

Poor  Sam  could  not  back  very  well,  and  now 
his  horse  was  thoroughly  unmanageable.  Closer 
came  the  steer,  until  his  wicked  looking  horns 
were  but  a  foot  away. 

At  that  critical  moment  a  shot  rang  out,  so 
close  at  hand  that  it  made  all  of  the  boys  jump. 
Realizing  the  dire  peril,  Dick  had  drawn  the  pistol 
he  carried  and  fired  at  the  steer.  His  aim  was 
fair,  and  the  beast  was  struck  in  the  ribs. 

"Good  for  you,  Dick!"  burst  out  poor  Sam. 
"Give  him  another,"  he  added,  as  he  tried  to  quiet 
his  horse  and  keep  the  steed  from  pitching  him  to 
the  ground. 

Dick  was  quite  willing  to  take  another  shot, 
but  to  get  into  range  was  not  so  easy.  Song- 

'06 


JIM  JONES,  THE  COWBOY  IO7 

bird's  horse  was  between  himself  and  the  steer, 
and  the  latter  was  plunging-  around  in  a  manner 
that  was  dangerous  for  the  entire  party. 

But  at  last  the  eldest  Rover  saw  his  opportunity, 
and  once  more  the  pistol  rang  out  on  the  summer 
air.  The  shot  took  the  steer  in  the  left  ear  and 
he  gave  a  loud  snort  of  pain  and  staggered  as  if 
about  to  fall. 

"He  is  about  done  for!"  cried  Tom.  "I  am 
glad  of  it." 

The  steer  continued  to  plunge  around  for  fully 
two  minutes  and  all  took  good  care  to  keep  out 
of  his  reach.  Then  he  took  a  finai  plunge  and  fell 
over  on  his  side,  breathing  heavily  and  rolling  his 
eyes  the  while. 

"I  reckon  I  had  better  give  him  a  final  shot," 
was  Dick's  comment,  and,  dismounting,  he  came 
forward  and  fired  directly  into  the  beast's  eye. 
It  was  a  finishing  move,  and,  with  a  convulsive 
shudder,  the  steer  lay  still,  and  the  unexpected 
encounter  came  to  an  end. 

"Well,  I  am  glad  that  is  over,"  said  Sam  as 
he  wiped  the  cold  perspiration  from  his  forehead. 
"I  thought  he  was  going  to  horn  me,  sure !" 

"He  would  have  done  so,  had  it  not  been  for 
Dick,"  returned  Tom. 

"I  know  it.     Dick,  I  shan't  forget  this." 


io8        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"What's  to  be  done  about  the  steer  ?"  asked 
Songbird.  "It  seems  a  pity  to  leave  him  here." 

"Vot  is  der  madder  mit  cutting  him  ub  for 
meats?"  put  in  Hans.  "Ve  can  haf  some  nice 
steak  ven  ve  go  into  camp  next  dime,  hey?" 

'That's  a  scheme,"  said  Fred. 

At  that  moment,  Wags,  who  had  kept  in  the 
background  so  long  as  the  steer  was  raging 
around,  set  up  a  sharp  barking. 

"What's  wrong  now?"  asked  Tom,  turning  to 
the  dog. 

"Somebody  may  be  coming,"  suggested  Dick. 

"I'll  show  you  fellers  wot's  wrong!"  cried  a 
rough  voice,  and  through  the  brushwood  close 
by  there  crashed  a  broncho,  on  top  of  which  rode 
a  rough-looking  cowboy,  wearing  a  red  shirt  and 
a  big  slouch  hat.  "Who  went  and  shot  that 
steer?" 

"I  did,"  answered  Dick.    "Was  he  yours?" 

"He  was,  and  you  had  no  right  to  touch  him," 
growled  the  cowboy. 

"Didn't  I,  though?"  said  Dick.  "Are  you 
aware  that  he  came  close  to  hurting  us?  He 
charged  full  tilt  at  my  brother's  horse." 

"Stuff  and  fairy  tales,  boy.  That  steer  was  all 
right.  He  broke  away  from  the  drove,  but  he 
wouldn't  hurt  a  flea." 

"We  know  better,"  put  in  Tom. 


JIM  JONES,  THE  COWBOY  109 

"If  my  brother  hadn't  killed  him,  he  would 
probably  have  killed  my  horse,  and  maybe  me," 
added  Sam.. 

"Somebody  has  got  to  pay  for  the  damage 
done,"  growled  the  cowboy.  "I  am  not  going  to 
stand  for  it,  not  me,  so  sure  as  my  name  is  Jim 
Jones."  And  he  shook  his  head  determinedly. 

"Well,  Mr.  Jones,  I  am  sorry  I  had  to  kill  your 
steer,  but  it  had  to  be  done,  and  that  is  all  there 
is  to  it,"  said  Dick  calmly. 

"That  ain't  payin'  for  the  critter,  is  it?" 

"No." 

"An*  do  you  reckon  I'm  goin'  to  let  the  boss 
take  the  price  out  o'  my  wages?"  continued  Jim 
Jones  warmly. 

"Isn't  the  steer  worth  something  as  meat?" 

"Yes,  but  not  near  as  much  as  he  was  wuth  on 
the  hoof." 

"We  might  take  up  a  collection  for  Mr.  Jones, 
if  he  is  a  poor  man,"  suggested  Songbird,  who 
did  not  want  any  trouble. 

"But  we  haven't  got  to  do  it,"  broke  in  Tom. 
"It  was  his  business  not  to  let  the  steer  run  wild 
in  the  first  place." 

"So  you're  going  to  take  a  hand,  eh  ?"  stormed 
the  cowboy;  then,  feeling  he  was  in  the  minority, 
he  went  on  more  humbly :  "Yes,  I'm  a  poor  man, 
and  this  may  get  me  discharged." 


no   THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"How  much  do  you  think  we  ought  to  pay?" 
asked  Dick.  "Name  a  reasonable  price  and  I  may 
settle,  just  to  avoid  trouble,  and  not  because  I 
think  I  ought  to  pay/' 

"How  about  fifty  dollars?"  asked  the  cowboy 
with  a  shrewd  look  in  his  fishy,  blue  eyes. 

"Cut  it  in  half,  and  I  may  meet  you,"  came 
from  Dick.  "He  was  no  blue-ribbon  animal." 

The  cowboy  tried  to  argue,  but  the  Rovers  and 
their  chums  would  not  listen,  and  in  the  end  Jim 
Jones  said  he  would  accept  twenty-five  dollars 
and  let  it  go  at  that.  He  said  he  would  have 
the  steer  carted  away  before  night. 

"Where  do  you  come  from?"  asked  Dick  after 
paying  over  the  money. 

"From  the  Cassibel  ranch,  sixty  miles  north 
west  from  here.  I  and  my  pard  were  driving 
some  cattle  to  town,  when  this  steer  got  scared 
at  a  rattlesnake  and  broke  away." 

"I  don't  blame  him,"  said  Fred.  "I'd  get 
scared  at  a  rattlesnake,  myself." 

"Do  you  know  the  way  to  Mr.  Carson  Denton's 
•plantation?"  went  on  Dick. 

"Sure." 

"This  is  not  the  right  trail,  is  it?" 

"Not  by  a  long  shot.  The  right  trail  is  four 
miles  from  here." 


JIM  JONES,  THE  COWBOY  nr 

"Will  you  direct  us  to  the  right  road?"  asked 
Dick. 

"Sure  thing,"  answered  Jim  Jones.  He  paused 
for  a  moment.  "Want  to  get  there  the  easiest 
way  possible,  I  reckon?" 

"Of  course." 

"Well,  then,  keep  to  this  trail  for  half  a  mile 
further.  Then,  when  you  come  to  the  blasted 
hemlock,  take  the  trail  to  the  left.  That  will  take 
you  through  the  upper  end  of  the  next  town  and 
right  on  to  Denton's." 

"Thanks,"  said  Dick.    "Is  it  a  good  road?" 

"Fine,  after  the  fust  few  miles  are  passed. 
There  are  a  few  bad  spots  at  first,  but  you  mustn't 
mind  them." 

"We  shan't  mind,"  came  from  Sam.  "We 
have  struck  some  bad  spots  already." 

A  few  additional  words  passed,  and  then  all  of 
the  boys  rode  along  the  trail  as  the  cowboy  had 
pointed  out.  Jim  Jones,  standing  beside  the  dead 
steer,  watched  them  out  of  sight  and  chuckled 
loudly  to  himself. 

"Reckon  I  squared  accounts  with  'em,"  he 
muttered.  "Got  twenty-five  dollars  in  cash  and 
the  animile,  and  if  they  foller  thet  trail  as  I  told 
'em — well,  there  ain't  no  tellin'  where  they'll 
fotch  up.  But  it  won't  be  Denton's  ranch,  not  by 
a  long  shot !"  and  he  laughed  heartily  to  himself. 


112        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

All  unconscious  that  they  had  been  wrongly 
directed  by  Jim  Jones,  the  Rover  boys  and  their 
chums  continued  their  journey.  When  they 
reached  the  hemlock  that  had  been  struck  by 
lightning,  they  took  to  the  other  path  as  directed. 

"I  am  sorry  I  didn't  ask  how  far  that  town 
was,"  said  Dick.  'Tor  all  we  know,  we  may  be 
miles  away  from  it." 

"If  it  gets  too  late,  we  had  better  go  into  camp 
for  the  night,"  suggested  Songbird,  and  so  it  was 
agreed. 

The  coming  of  night  found  them  in  something 
of  a  hollow  between  two  ranges  of  hills.  The  trail 
was  soft  and  spongy,  and  the  horses  frequently 
sank  in  over  their  hoofs. 

"This  is  something  I  didn't  bargain  for/'  ob 
served  Songbird.  "I  trust  we  don't  get  stuck  and 
have  to  go  back." 

"That  cowboy  said  the  trail  would  be  poor 
for  a  while,"  came  from  Fred. 

They  continued  to  go  forward,  on  the  lookout 
for  some  suitable  spot  where  they  might  camp  for 
the  night.  The  thought  of  reaching  a  town  had 
faded  away  an  hour  before. 

"Gosh !  this  is  getting  worse !"  cried  Tom.  "Be 
careful,  Hans!"  he  called  to  the  German  youth, 
who  was  ahead. 

"Vot's  dot?"  sang  out  the  other. 


JIM  JONES,  THE  COWBOY  113 

"I  said,  be  careful.  You  don't  want  to  sink 
through  to  China,  do  you  ?" 

"Not  much  I  ton't,"  was  the  answer.    "Oh !" 

Hans  let  out  a  loud  cry  of  alarm,  and  with 
good  reason.  His  horse  had  struck  a  sink-hole, 
as  they  are  called  on  the  plains,  and  gone  down 
to  his  knees.  He  made  such  a  plunge  that  poor 
Hans  was  thrown  over  his  head,  to  land  full 
length  in  an  oozy,  sticky  bog. 

"Stop!"  cried  Dick,  as  soon  as  he  saw  this  acci 
dent.  "Don't  go  any  further,  fellows,  it's 
dangerous !" 

"Hellup !  safe  me !"  roared  Hans,  trying  in  vain 
to  extricate  himself  from  the  oozy  bog,  while  his 
horse  did  the  same.  "Hellup,  oder  I  peen 
downed  in  der  mud  alretty !" 


CHAPTER    XIV 

OUT    OF   AN    UNPLEASANT    SITUATION 

NOT  one  of  the  party  was  just  then  in  a  position 
to  give  poor  Hans  any  assistance.  All  were  stuck 
in  the  ooze,  and  one  horse  after  another  was 
slowly  but  surely  sinking. 

"We  must  turn  back,"  cried  Songbird,  "and  do 
it  in  a  hurry,  too." 

"Easier  said  than  done,"  grunted  Fred.  "My, 
this  is  worse  than  glue!" 

"I  think  the  ground  on  our  left  is  a  bit  firmer 
than  here,"  said  Sam.  "I  am  going  to  try  it, 
anyway." 

Not  without  considerable  difficulty,  he  turned 
his  steed,  and  after  a  struggle  the  spot  he  had 
indicated  was  gained.  Dick  followed,  and  so  did 
Tom. 

The  Rovers  were  safe,  but  not  so  their  chums. 
Hans  was  the  worst  off,  but  Fred  and  Songbird 
were  likewise  in  positions  of  serious  peril.  Wags 
was  flying  around,  barking  dismally,  as  though  he 
understood  that  all  was  not  right. 

114 


OUT  OF  AN  UNPLEASANT  SITUATION    115 

"Turn  this  way!"  called  out  Sam.  "It's  your 
one  hope !" 

"Let  me  have  that  rope  you  are  carrying,  Tom," 
said  Dick,  and  having  received  the  article,  he 
threw  one  end  to  Hans,  who  was  still  floundering 
around.  "Catch  hold,  Hans,  and  I'll  haul  you 
over!" 

As  the  rope  fell  across  the  German  youth's 
body,  he  caught  it  tightly  in  both  hands,  and,  as 
Dick,  Tom  and  Sam  pulled  with  might  and  main, 
he  fairly  slid  on  his  breast  to  where  they  were 
standing. 

"Mine  gracious,  dot  vos  somedings  awful !"  he 
exclaimed.  "It  vos  so  sticky  like  molasses 
alretty !" 

"Now,  we  must  help  the  others,"  said  Dick. 

"Songbird  is  out,"  exclaimed  Sam. 

The  rope  was  thrown  to  Fred,  and  with  a  great 
tug  he  was  finally  brought  out  of  the  ooze. 

"Nearly  took  my  hand  off,"  he  declared.  "But 
I  don't  care — anything  is  better  than  to  be  stuck 
in  such  a  spot  as  that." 

The  horses  were  still  floundering  desperately, 
and  it  was  little  that  they  could  do  for  the  beasts. 
One  went  in  one  direction  and  the  others  in  an 
other,  but  at  last  all  appeared  to  be  safe,  although 
covered  with  the  sticky  mud  and  slime. 

"That's  an  adventure  I  didn't  bargain  for,"  was 


u6        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Tom's  comment.  "Do  you  know  what  I  think? 
I  think  that  cowboy  sent  us  into  this  on  purpose.'* 

"Maybe  he  did,"  came  from  Dick.  "Did  it,  I 
suppose,  to  get  square  because  we  didn't  pay  him 
all  he  thought  the  steer  was  worth." 

To  round  up  the  horses  was  no  easy  task,  and 
by  the  time  this  was  accomplished  it  was  long  past 
dark.  They  searched  around  for  a  suitable  spot 
and  then  went  into  camp. 

"This  trip  is  lasting  longer  than  I  expected/' 
remarked  Dick  when  they  were  around  the  camp- 
fire  preparing  an  evening  meal.  "I  trust  the 
others  don't  get  worried  about  us." 

"Oh,  I  guess  they  know  that  we  can  take  care 
of  ourselves,"  answered  Tom. 

"I  wish  I  had  that  cowboy  here,"  muttered 
Sam.  "I'd  give  him  a  piece  of  my  mind." 

"I  think  we'd  all  do  that,"  added  Fred. 

"I  vos  gif  him  a  biece  of  mine  mind  from  der 
end  of  mine  fist,"  said  Hans,  and  this  made  them 
all  laugh. 

The  camping  spot  was  not  a  particularly  good 
one,  yet  all  slept  soundly.  They  left  Wags  on 
guard,  but  nothing  came  to  disturb  them. 

It  was  misty  in  the  morning  and  so  raw  that 
they  shivered  as  they  prepared  to  start  off.  How 
to  proceed  was  a  question,  and  it  took  them  a 
good  quarter  of  an  hour  to  decide  it. 


OUT  OF  AN  UNPLEASANT  SITUATION    117 

"It  would  be  folly  to  go  deeper  into  this  bog,  or 
swamp,"  said  Dick.  "I  vote  we  keep  to  the  high 
ground." 

"That's  the  talk,"  said  Sam.  "Maybe,  when  we 
get  up  far  enough,  we  will  have  a  chance  to  look 
around  us." 

As  well  as  they  were  able,  they  had  cleaned 
off  the  horses  and  themselves,  and  now  they  took 
good  care  to  keep  from  all  ground  that  looked  in 
the  least  bit  treacherous. 

"Here  is  a  new  trail,"  cried  Tom  after  about 
two  miles  had  been  covered.  "And  it  seems  to 
lead  up  a  hill,  too." 

"Then  that  is  the  trail  for  us,"  put  in  Song 
bird,  and  they  took  to  the  new  trail  without 
further  words. 

"Songbird,  I  don't  hear  any  poetry,"  observed 
Dick  as  they  rode  along.  "What's  the  matter?" 

"Can't  make  up  poetry  in  such  a  dismal  place 
as  this,"  was  the  answer  in  a  disgusted  voice.  "I 
wish  we  were  out  of  this  woods,  and  out  of  the 
mist,  too.  I  declare,  it's  enough  to  give  a  fellow 
malaria." 

The  sun  was  trying  to  break  through  the  mist, 
which  was  an  encouraging  sign.  Here  and  there 
a  bird  set  up  a  piping  note,  but  otherwise  all  was 
as  quiet  as  a  tomb. 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  see  something  of  a  clearing  ahead/'  an 
nounced  Sam  presently. 

"And  a  trail!"  cried  Fred.  "Thank  fortune 
for  that !" 

The  clearing  reached,  they  found  a  well-defined 
trail  running  to  the  southwestward. 

'That  must  run  to  Caville,"  announced  Dick. 
"See,  there  is  a  regular  wagon  track." 

"I  hope  it  is  the  right  road,"  returned  Fred. 

They  were  soon  out  on  the  plains  again,  and 
then  into  another  patch  of  timber.  They  had 
to  ford  a  small  stream,  and  on  the  other  side  came 
to  a  fork  in  the  trail. 

"Which  way  now?"  questioned  Sam,  as  all 
came  to  a  halt  in  perplexity. 

"This  seems  to  be  the  main  road,  although  it  is 
hard  to  tell  one  from  the  other,"  said  Dick  after 
an  examination. 

The  others  agreed  with  the  eldest  Rover,  and 
once  more  they  went  forward  But,  in  less  than 
a  mile,  they  saw  that  the  road  was  not  in  as  good 
a  condition  as  that  left  behind. 

"This  looks  as  if  we  had  made  a  mistake,"  ob 
served  Fred.  "Oh,  what  luck  we  are  having !" 

"I'd  like  to  know — "  began  Tom,  when  he 
stopped  abruptly,  for  out  of  the  brushwood  an 
old  man  had  stepped,  gun  in  hand. 


OUT  OF  AN  UNPLEASANT  SITUATION    119 

"You-uns,  hold  on !"  cried  the  old  man. 

"Hullo,  what  do  you  want?"  asked  Dick. 

"I  want  for  you-uns  to  turn  around  an'  go 
tudder  way." 

"Isn't  this  the  trail  to  Caville?" 

"No,  it  ain't,  an'  you-uns  can't  come  this  way^ 
nohow." 

"Is  it  a  private  road?" 

"Yes." 

"Where  does  it  lead  to?" 

"That  ain't  none  o'  you-uns'  business,"  said  the 
old  man  curtly.  "You-uns  is  on  the  wrong  road, 
an'  have  got  to  turn  back." 

"Supposing  we  don't  turn  back?"  questioned 
Tom,  who  did  not  fancy  the  style  in  which  they 
were  being  addressed. 

At  this,  the  old  man  tapped  his  gun. 

"Orders  is  to  turn  'em  back,  or  shoot,"  he  an* 
swered  simply.  "This  are  a  private  road.  Don't 
ye  see  the  wire  fence?" 

They  looked  into  the  brushwood  and  saw  a 
single  strand  of  wire  stretched  from  tree  to  tree 
on  each  side  of  the  trail. 

"Not  much  of  a  fence,"  was  Songbird's 
comment. 

"It's  enough,  an*  you-uns  can't  come  no 
further." 

"Maybe  you  live  beyond,"  said  Sam  curiously. 


iao        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Maybe  I  do,  an'  maybe  I  don't.  It  ain't  none 
of  you-uns'  business." 

"You  are  very  civil,  I  must  say." 

"Don't  you  git  fly,  boy,  or  this  ole  gun  o'  mine 
might  go  off.  This  ain't  no  trail  fer  you-uns,  an' 
you-uns  have  got  to  turn  back." 

"Will  you  tell  us  if  that  other  trail  runs  to 
Caville?"  asked  Dick. 

"It  don't  run  nowheres."  The  old  man  grinned 
for  a  moment.  "It  stays  where  it  are.  But  if 
you-uns  travel  along  it  for  about  five  miles,  ye'll 
reach  the  town." 

"And  you  won't  tell  us  whose  road  this  is?" 
9ame  from  Tom. 

"It  ain't  none  of  you-uns'  business,  thet  ain't. 
Better  turn  back  an'  have  done  with  it." 

The  old  man  showed  plainly  that  he  did  not 
wish  to  converse  further.  He  stood  in  the  center 
of  the  trail,  with  his  gun  ready  for  instant  use. 

"We  made  a  mistake  before  and  got  into  a 
sink-hole,"  said  Dick.  "We  don't  want  to  make 
another  mistake." 

"Take  tudder  trail  an'  you-uns  will  be  all 
right,"  answered  the  old  man,  and  thereupon 
they  turned  around  and  rode  off. 

"What  a  crusty  old  fellow !"  said  Sam. 

"Yes,  but  he  meant  business,"  came  from  Fred. 


OUT  OF  AN  UNPLEASANT  SITUATION    121 

"He  would  have  shot  at  us  sure,  had  we  insisted 
upon  moving  forward." 

"There  is  some  mystery  about  this/'  said  Dick. 

"Perhaps  he  lives  a  hermit  life  down  that  trail," 
suggested  Songbird. 

"It  looked  more  to  me  as  if  he  was  on  guard/' 
put  in  Sam.  "He  certainly  meant  business.'' 

"If  we  had  time,  I'd  sneak  around  to  one  side 
and  see  what  was  beyond." 

"Yes,  and  get  shot,"  said  Fred.  "We  had  bet 
ter  take  his  advice  and  go  on  to  Caville." 

It  did  not  take  them  long  to  reach  the  fork  in 
the  road,  and  here  they  turned  into  the  other  trail. 
They  had  proceeded  less  than  fifty  yards,  when 
Dick  put  up  his  hand. 

"Somebody  is  coming  behind  us,"  he 
announced. 

They  halted  at  a  turn  in  the  road  and  looked 
back.  Two  persons  soon  appeared,  both  on  horse 
back.  They  were  riding  at  a  good  gait  and  turned 
into  the  trail  which  was  guarded  by  the  old  man. 

"Well,  I  never!"  cried  Tom  in  amazement. 

"I  recognized  the  first  man,"  said  Sam.  "It 
was  that  bushy-haired  fellow.  I  think  somebody 
said  his  name  was  Sack  Todd." 

"That's  the  chap,"  replied  Dick.  "But  didn't 
you  recognize  the  other?" 

"No." 

"It  was  Dan  Baxter." 


CHAPTER    XV 
SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY 

"DAN  BAXTER!" 

The  cry  came  simultaneously  from  several  of 
the  crowd. 

"I  think  Dick  is  right,"  said  Songbird.  "I 
thought  it  must  be  Dan,  but  I  wasn't  sure,  for  I 
didn't  expect  to  see  him  here." 

"He  and  that  Sack  Todd  must  have  become 
friends,"  put  in  Tom.  "I  would  like  to  know 
what  Dan  is  doing  out  here." 

"He  is  certainly  up  to  no  good,"  answered 
Dick.  "I  must  say  this  adds  to  the  mystery, 
doesn't  it,  boys?" 

"That's  what  it  does,"  chimed  in  Sam.  "I  wish 
we  could  catch  Baxter  and  bring  him  to  justice." 

"Or  reform  him,"  came  from  Dick. 

"Reform  him,  Dick !"  cried  Tom.  "That  would 
be  mighty  uphill  work." 

"It  isn't  in  him,"  added  Fred.  "He  is  tee- 
totally  bad." 

"I  used  to  think  that  of  Dan's  father,  but 
Arnold  Baxter  has  reformed — and  he  wants  his 
son  to  do  likewise." 

123 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  123 

"Well,  that  isn't  here  or  there,"  said  Tom  after 
a  pause.  "What  are  we  to  do  just  now?" 

"Let  us  push  on  to  town  first,"  answered  Song 
bird.  "After  that,  we  can  rearrange  our  plans 
if  we  wish." 

This  was  considered  good  advice,  and  once 
again  they  urged  their  steeds  along.  Coming  to  a 
high  point  in  the  trail,  they  made  out  Caville  a 
mile  distant,  and  rode  into  the  town  about  noon. 

It  was  not  much  of  a  place,  and  the  single  hotel 
afforded  only  the  slimmest  of  accommodations. 
But  they  had  to  be  satisfied,  and  so  made  the  best 
of  it. 

The  meal  over,  Dick  strolled  into  the  office  of 
the  tavern,  where  he  found  the  proprietor  sitting 
in  a  big  wooden  chair  leaning  against  the  counter. 

"Quite  a  town,"  began  the  eldest  Rover 
cheerfully. 

"Wall,  it  ain't  so  bad  but  what  it  might  be  wuss, 
stranger.  Did  the  grub  suit  ye?" 

"It  did." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,  stranger.  Sometimes  the 
folks  from  the  big  cities  find  fault.  Expect  me  to 
run  a  reg'lar  Aster-Delmonicum,  or  sumthin'  like 
that." 

"It  is  very  hard  to  suit  everybody,"  said  Dick. 
"By  the  way,"  he  went  on,  "do  you  know  a  man 
around  these  parts  named  Sack  Todd  ?" 


124        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Do  I  know  him?  To  be  sure  I  do,  stranger. 
Friend  o'  yourn  ?" 

"Not  exactly,  but  I  have  met  him  a  few  times. 
Where  does  he  live?" 

"Lives  over  to  Red  Rock  ranch,  quite  a  few 
miles  from  here." 

"Alone?" 

"Not  exactly.  He  has  a  cousin  there,  I  believe, 
and  some  others.  But  I  wouldn't  advise  you  to  go 
over  to  the  ranch,  nohow." 

"Why?" 

"Sack  Todd  don't  take  to  visitors.  The  story 
goes  that  a  visitor  once  stopped  there  an'  shot  his 
wife  and  robbed  her,  an'  since  that  time  he  ain't 
had  no  use  fer  anybody,  only  them  as  he  knows 
very  well." 

"Does  he  run  the  ranch  for  a  living?" 

"Don't  know  but  what  he  does,  but  he  don't 
work  very  hard  a-doin'  it." 

"Is  there  an  old  man  working  for  him — a 
fellow  with  thin  shoulders  and  reddish  hair?" 

"Yes;  an'  he's  a  sour  pill,  too." 

"He  must  be  an  odd  stick,  to  keep  himself  so 
close." 

"Yes ;  but  Sack's  a  good  spender,  when  he's  in 
the  humor  of  it.  Sometimes  he  comes  to  town 
with  a  wad  o'  money  an'  treats  everybody  right 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  125 

an*  left.    Then  ag'in  he  comes  in  an*  won't  notice 
nobody." 

Here  the  talk  came  to  an  end,  for  the  hotel 
man  had  to  attend  to  some  new  arrivals.  Dick 
joined  the  others  and  all  took  a  walk,  so  that 
their  conversation  might  not  be  overheard. 

"This  only  adds  to  the  mystery/'  said  Tom 
after  Dick  had  repeated  what  the  tavern  keeper 
had  said.  "I  am  more  anxious  now  than  ever  to 
visit  Red  Rock  ranch,  as  they  call  it." 

"So  am  I,"  added  Sam.  "And  remember,  we 
want  to  catch  Dan  Baxter  if  we  can." 

"Well,  we  can't  go  ahead  and  back  too,  boys," 
came  from  Dick.  "If  we  really  mean  to  investi 
gate,  we  ought  to  send  Mr.  Denton  and  the  ladies 
and  the  girls  word.  If  we  don't,  and  we  are  de 
layed  any  great  length  of  time,  they  will  be  sure 
to  worry  about  us." 

"Maybe  we  can  telephone,"  suggested  Song 
bird.  "Don't  you  see  the  wires?  Some  of  the 
plantations  must  have  the  service." 

"That's  the  talk!"  cried  Fred.  "Let  us  try  it, 
anyway." 

They  walked  to  the  nearest  station  and  looked 
over  the  book.  But  the  Denton  plantation  was 
not  mentioned. 

"We  can  send  a  letter,"  said  Dick.  "That  wUJ 
get  there  before  they  have  a  chance  to  worry." 


126        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

They  returned  to  the  tavern,  and  there  the 
communication  was  written,  and  later  on  dropped 
in  the  post-office.  Then  they  held  another 
I  consultation. 

"Those  fellows  around  that  ranch  are  all  armed 
beyond  a  doubt,"  said  Tom.  "I  think  we  ought 
to  get  something  in  the  shape  of  firearms." 

"We've  got  a  gun  and  a  pistol  now,"  answered 
Dick. 

"Say,  I  ton't  vos  go  pack  of  der  been  schootin' 
goin'  on !"  cried  Hans.  "I  tole  you  dot  Sack  Todd 
been  a  pad  man." 

"You  can  remain  behind,  Hans,"  returned 
Sam. 

"He  can  go  on  to  Mr.  Denton's,"  said  Song 
bird. 

"Not  much — I  stick  py  der  crowd,"  said  the 
German  youth.  He  thought  it  worse  to  leave 
them  than  to  confront  any  possible  perils. 

Their  horses  had  been  fed  and  cared  for,  and 
by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  each  was  provided 
with  a  pistol,  the  extra  weapons  being  secured  at 
the  local  hardware  establishment. 

"Afraid  of  outlaws?"  questioned  the  man  who 
sold  the  pistols. 

"There  is  nothing  like  being  armed,"  answered 
Dick.  "On  some  of  these  trails,  there  is  no  telling 
what  sort  of  persons  you  will  meet." 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  127 

"I've  got  an  idea,"  said  Tom  when  they  were 
on  the  street  again.  "Why  not  take  our  time  and 
move  on  Red  Rock  ranch  after  dark?" 

"And  lose  our  way,"  came  from  Sam. 

"Well,  we  can't  use  that  trail  in  the  daylight.  • 
That  old  man  will  be  sure  to  halt  us." 

"We  can  get  around  the  old  man  somehow," 
said  Songbird.  "As  soon  as  we  spot  him,  we  can 
make  a  detour." 

By  four  o'clock,  they  were  on  the  way.  Not  to 
excite  suspicions  on  the  part  of  any  of  Sack 
Todd's  friends  who  might  happen  to  be  around, 
they  left  Caville  by  a  side  trail  and  then  took  to 
the  back  road  after  the  last  of  the  houses  of  the 
town  had  been  passed. 

"I'd  just  like  a  long  ride  over  the  prairie," 
cried  Sam.  "I  know  I'd  enjoy  every  minute 
of  it." 

They  had  proceeded  less  than  a  mile  when  Hans 
went  to  the  front. 

"I  dink  dis  horse  vants  to  let  himself  out  a 
leetle,"  said  he. 

"I'll   race   you,"    said    Sam,    and   away   they , 
started  at  a  breakneck  speed. 

"Hold  on !"  cried  Dick.  "Don't  tire  yourselves 
out  in  that  fashion.  We've  got  a  good  many  miles 
to  go  yet." 

But  neither  of  the  racers  paid  any  attention, 


128        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and  soon  they  were  a  good  distance  to  the  front. 
Hans  was  doing  his  best  to  keep  ahead  of  the 
youngest  Rover,  and,  as  his  steed  was  a  little 
the  better  of  the  two,  he  had  small  difficulty  in 
accomplishing  his  object. 

But,  alas,  for  the  poor  German  boy !  The  race 
made  him  careless  of  where  he  was  going,  and 
soon  he  found  himself  on  the  very  edge  of  a 
swamp,  similar  to  that  encountered  before. 

"Whoa!"  he  yelled  to  his  horse.  "Whoa!" 
And  then  he  added :  "Sam,  go  pack  kvick !" 

"What's  wrong,  Hans?" 

"It  ist  all  vet  aroundt  here,  und  I — Du  meine 
Zeitr 

As  the  German  youth  finished,  his  horse  stepped 
into  a  fair-sized  hole  on  the  edge  of  the  swamp. 
On  the  instant,  a  cloud  arose  from  the  hole. 

"Hornets!"  screamed  Sam,  and  backed  away 
with  all  speed. 

"Hellup!  hellup!"  yelled  Hans.  "Ouch!  Oh, 
my !"  And  then  he  tried  to  back  away.  But  the 
hornets  were  angry  at  being  disturbed  in  their 
nest  and  went  at  him  and  his  horse  with  vigor. 

"Something  is  wrong  with  Hans,"  observed 
Dick,  looking  ahead.  "See,  his  nag  is  dancing 
around  as  if  it  was  crazy." 

"Oh,  me;  oh,  my!"  roared  Hans,  slapping  to 
the  right  and  to  the  left.  "I  vos  stung  in  mor< 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  129 

as  a  hundred  blaces.  Hellup  me,  somepotty !  Dis 
vos  der  vorse  yet  alretty !  Git  avay,  you  hornets ! 
I  gif  you  fife  dollars  to  git  avay!" 

"Ride  off,  Hans,"  called  out  Fred.  "Don't 
stay  near  the  hornets'  nest.  It  will  only  make  it 
so  much  the  worse  for  you." 

Thus  advised,  Hans  backed  and  started  off. 
But,  instead  of  going  off  by  himself,  he  rode 
directly  into  the  crowd. 

"Hi,  you,  keep  away !"  sang  out  Tom,  and  then, 
as  a  hornet  alighted  on  his  nose,  he  went  on: 
"Whow !  Haven't  you  any  sense  ?" 

"Anypotty  vot  vonts  dem  hornets  can  haf  dem, 
free  of  charge,  mit  drading  stamps  drown  in," 
answered  Hans.  "Git  avay!"  and  he  rode  on. 

"The  cheek  of  him !"  put  in  Fred,  who  was  also 
bitten.  "We  ought  to  drive  him  back  into  the 
hole." 

"Not  on  mine  life!"  said  Hans.  "I  vos  so 
stung  now  I  can't  see  mine  eyes  out  of,  ain't  it  !" 

All  lost  no  time  in  getting  away  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  hornets'  nest,  and  presently  the 
pests  left  them  and  went  back  to  the  hole,  to  see 
what  damage  had  been  done. 

"This  is  an  experience  I  didn't  bargain  for," 
said  Songbird,  who  had  oeen  stung  in  the  cheek. 

"Maybe  you'd  like  to  make  up  some  poetry 


130        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

about  it,"  grumbled  Tom.  "Oh,  how  my  chin 
hurts!" 

"And  my  ear!" 

"And  my  nose!" 

"Humph!     Look  at  my  eye!*' 

So  the  talk  ran  on,  and  the  crowd  looked  at 
each  other  in  their  misery.  But  the  sights  were 
too  comical  and,  despite  the  pain,  each  had  to 
laugh  at  the  others. 

"Didn't  know  you  had  so  much  cheek,  Song 
bird." 

"My,  what  an  awful  smeller  Fred's  got !" 

"Dick's  left  hand  is  a  regular  boxing  glove." 

"I'm  going  to  put  some  soft  mud  on  the  hand/' 
returned  Dick.  "There  is  nothing  better  to  draw 
out  the  pain  of  a  hornet's  sting." 

"Den  gif  me  some  of  dot  mut,  too,"  said  Hans. 
"I  ton't  vos  care  how  he  looks,  so  long  as  it  makes 
me  feel  easier." 

Mud  was  easy  to  procure,  and  all  used  it  lib 
erally,  and  before  long  the  pain  and  swelling  be 
gan  to  go  down.  But  their  sufferings  did  not 
cease  entirely  until  many  hours  afterwards,  while 
poor  Hans  could  not  use  one  eye  for  two  days. 

"After  this,  we  had  better  keep  our  eyes  open 
for  hornets'  nests,"  observed  Dick. 

"I  certainly  don't  want  to  be  stung  again,"  said 
Sam. 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY  131 

"I  believe  a  fellow  could  be  stung  to  death  by 
such  pests,"  ventured  Fred. 

"Yes,  and  a  horrible  death  it  would  be/'  an 
swered  Dick. 

f  The  encounter  with  the  hornets  had  delayed 
them  greatly,  and  it  was  getting  toward  nightfall 
before  they  went  on  their  way  again. 

"We  may  as  well  take  our  time,"  said  Tom. 
"We  can't  reach  Red  Rock  ranch  until  to 
morrow." 

After  crossing  a  level  stretch  of  prairie,  they 
came  to  the  edge  of  a  woods.  Not  far  off  was  a 
shack  similar  to  those  to  be  seen  all  over  this 
section  of  our  country. 

"Hullo,  here  is  a  house,"  cried  Dick.  "I  won 
der  if  anybody  lives  here  ?" 

He  dismounted  and,  walking  forward,  looked 
into  the  shack.  On  a  bed  of  boughs  a  heavy-set 
man  was  sleeping. 

"Hullo,  there!"  called  out  the  eldest  of  the 
Rovers. 

The  man  sat  up  in  alarm  and  made  a  movement 

n 

jas  if  to  draw  a  pistol. 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?"  he  asked  roughly. 


CHAPTER    XVI 

A    SCENE    FROM    A    TREETOP 

"I  DON'T  know  as  we  want  anything  of  you," 
said  Dick.  "We  chanced  to  be  riding  by,  that 
is  all." 

"Oh!"  The  man  looked  relieved  and  let  his 
hand  drop  from  his  pistol  pocket.  "Are  you 
alone?" 

"No,  there  is  quite  a  crowd  of  us." 

At  this,  the  man  leaped  up  and  looked  out  of 
the  open  doorway  of  the  shack.  His  face  fell 
again  when  he  saw  so  many,  and  all  well  mounted. 

"May  I  ask  what  you  are  doing  here?"  he 
questioned,  turning  his  sharp  eyes  on  Dick  once 
more. 

"We  are  doing  a  bit  of  traveling  overland.  We 
were  on  a  houseboat,  but  we  got  tired  of  riding 
on  the  Mississippi." 

"I  see.  One  of  them  'personally  conducted 
tours'  a  feller  reads  about  in  them  magazines,  eh  ?" 

"That  is  pretty  close  to  it,"  and  Dick  smiled, 
more  to  throw  the  man  off  his  guard  than  any 
thing  else.  He  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the 
stranger  in  the  least. 

132 


A  SCENE  FROM  A  TREETOP  133 

"Don't  go  an'  git  lost,  young  man.  Have  ye 
a  guide?" 

"No,  but  I  don't  think  we  are  going  to  get 
lost.  What  place  do  you  call  this?"  the  eldest 
Rover  continued,  thinking  to  ask  some  questions 
himself,  and  thus  keep  the  fellow  from  becoming 
too  inquisitive. 

"This  is  Pluggins'  Palace;"  the  man  gave  a 
short  laugh.  "Did  ye  ever  hear  of  Pluggins?" 

"No." 

"Pluggins  was  a  pretty  fair  sort,  but  had  a 
habit  of  stickin'  his  nose  into  other  folks'  business. 
One  day,  so  the  story  goes,  he  went  too  far,  and 
nobody  has  seen  him  since." 

"Was  he  killed?" 

The  man  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Don't  ask  me,  stranger.  He  disappeared,  and 
that  was  the  end  of  him.  He  used  to  live  here, 
and  the  boys  writ  that  motto  to  his  memory." 
And  the  man  pointed  to  a  wall,  upon  which  hung 
a  board,  on  which  had  been  painted  the  following : 

ThiS  iS  iN  MEMorY  Of 

SiLAs  plUGGinS 
he  waS  A  GooD  MaN 
bUT  hE  coULD  NOT  kEEp  HiS  NOsE 
FRoM  oTHeRS  biSSnESS. 
tAkE  wARNiNG.! 

Dick  read  the  lines  with  deep  interest,  and  so 
did  all  of  the  others. 


I34       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"They  didn't  know  much  about  sign  painting, 
but  they  evidently  knew  what  they  wanted  to  say," 
remarked  Tom.  "Do  you  live  here  now?"  he 
added,  to  the  strange  man. 

"No;  I  was  only  taking  a  nap,  that's  all." 

"Are  you  on  foot?"  asked  Fred. 

"No,  my  hoss  is  close  by."  The  man  gave  a 
loud  whistle,  and  soon  a  slick-looking  mare  came 
into  view  from  behind  the  shack.  "Reckon  I  must 
be  goin'."  He  pointed  to  the  board  on  the  wall. 
"Kind  of  a  sign  to  set  a  feller  to  thinkin',  eh?" 

"Just  a  bit,"  returned  Dick  dryly. 

"It  don't  do  to  stick  your  nose  into  what  don't 
concern  you.  Good-by." 

The  man  left  the  shack,  leaped  into  the  saddle 
on  the  mare,  spoke  to  the  steed  and,  in  a  second, 
was  off  like  the  wind  around  a  turn  in  the  woods. 

"Gracious,  but  he  can  ride!"  was  Tom's  com 
ment.  "That  mare  is  a  peach!" 

"Another  mystery,"  came  from  Dick.  He 
gazed  at  the  board  on  the  wall.  "Do  you  know 
what  I  think?" 

"What?"  asked  Songbird. 

"That  is  an  out-and-out  warning " 

"Sure." 

"A  warning  meant  for  just  such  persons  as 
ourselves." 


A  SCENE  FROM  A   TREETOP  135 

"You  mean  it  is  a  warning  to  keep  away  from 
Red  Rock  ranch?"  asked  Sam. 

"I  do.  Arid  I  think  that  fellow  was  on  guard, 
just  as  the  old  man  was  on  that  other  road." 

"If  he  was,  why  didn't  he  stop  us,  then?" 

"Because  we  took  him  unawares,  and  because 
he  saw  that  we  were  too  many  for  him." 

"By  Jinks,  Dick,  I  think  you  are  right !"  cried 
Tom.  "And,  if  you  are,  it  is  more  than  likely 
that  he  has  gone  to  the  ranch  to  warn  Sack 
Todd." 

"Exactly,  and  that  means  warning  Dan  Baxter, 
too.  I  tell  you,  boys,  there  is  something  behind 
all  this,  and  I,  for  one,  am  in  favor  of  doing  our 
best  to  solve  the  mystery." 

"I  am  with  you." 

"So  am  I." 

"And  I,  Dick!    You  can  count  on  me!" 

"Veil,  ton't  I  vos  here,  too?"  came  from  Hans. 

"But  we  must  go  slow,"  said  Tom.  "It  would 
be  nonsense  to  rush  forward.  We'd  be  certain 
to  walk  into  some  trap." 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  it  was  decided 
to  leave  the  vicinity  of  the  shack  before  making 
an  extended  halt.  They  did  not  know  but  what 
the  strange  man  would  come  back  accompanied  by 
Sack  Todd,  Dan  Baxter  and  others  equally  willing 
to  do  them  harm. 


136        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

They  plunged  into  the  woods  in  the  direction 
the  man  had  taken,  but,  coming  to  a  brook,  rode 
their  steeds  down  the  watercourse  for  half  a  mile, 
thus  completely  destroying  their  trail.  Then  they 
came  out  and  urged  their  now  tired  horses  up  a 
small  hill,  from  which  to  get  some  idea  of  their 
surroundings. 

'It's  too  dark  to  see  a  thing,"  announced  Tom, 
after  he  and  Sam  had  mounted  to  the  top  of  a 
tall  tree.  "But  I  think  we  could  get  a  fine  view 
from  here  in  the  daytime." 

Again  they  held  a  discussion,  and  it  was  decided 
to  go  into  camp  where  they  were.  They  had 
brought  some  cooked  food  with  them,  so  did  not 
have  to  start  a  fire,  and,  being  tired,  all  fell  asleep 
in  short  order,  leaving  Wags  on  guard,  as  they 
had  done  before. 

When  they  awoke,  the  sun  was  shining  brightly. 
Wags  was  missing,  having  gone  to  hunt  up  some 
thing  to  eat  in  the  brush.  All  swallowed  a  hasty 
repast,  washing  it  down  with  a  drink  from  the 
brook.  Then  Tom  climbed  the  tree  again,  fol 
lowed  this  time  by  his  big  brother. 

"I  see  a  ranch — out  that  way!"  cried  the  fun- 
loving  Rover  after  a  look  around.  "Dick,  can't 
you  see  it?" 

"Yes,  Tom,  and  it  must  be  the  one  we  are 


A  SCENE  FROM  A  TREETOP  137 

seeking,  for,  see,  there  is  a  series  of  rocks  behind 
it,  and  they  are  red." 

Dick  was  right — the  rocks  were  certainly  there, 
and  there  could  not  be  the  slightest  doubt  regard 
ing  their  color. 

The  ranch  was  a  long,  low-lying  place  and  so 
far  off  they  could  see  it  but  imperfectly. 

"We  may  as  well  draw  closer,"  said  Dick,  and 
began  to  climb  to  the  ground,  followed  by  his 
brother. 

There  was  no  path  through  the  woods,  and  the 
tree  branches  were  so  low-hanging  that  they  were 
willing  enough  to  walk  their  horses.  Soon  the 
tangle  grew  so  thick  they  were  forced  to  dismount 
and  proceed  on  foot. 

"I  trust  we  don't  get  into  a  pocket,"  said  Sam. 
"It  would  be  a  job  to  get  back  the  way  we  came." 

"I  see  a  clearing  ahead,"  announced  Songbird 
a  little  later,  and  presently  they  reached  an  open 
ing,  in  the  midst  of  which  grew  a  tall  pine  tree. 

"I'm  going  to  shin  that  tree,"  announced  Sam, 
and  went  up,  and  so  did  all  of  the  others,  reach 
ing  the  topmost  branches  only  after  a  difficult 
climb  lasting  ten  minutes. 

They  were  well  rewarded  for  their  efforts,  for 
from  the  top  of  the  tree  they  could  see  a  long  dis 
tance  in  all  directions.  But  they  had  eyes  only 


138        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

for  the  ranch,  which  now  stood  out  strongly  in 
the  bright  sunlight. 

"I  see  two  men  walking  about  the  place,"  said 
Sam.  "But  I  can't  make  out  their  faces." 

'There  is  a  big  wagon  approaching  from  a 
road  yonder,"  announced  Dick.  "It  seems  to  be 
filled  with  hay." 

They  watched  the  approach  of  the  wagon, 
which  lumbered  along  slowly,  although  drawn  by 
a  pair  of  powerful  looking  horses.  At  last,  the 
wagon  reached  a  side  entrance  to  the  ranch  and 
came  to  a  halt,  and  the  driver  dismounted. 

Five  minutes  passed,  and  then  four  or  five  men 
came  up  to  the  wagon.  The  hay,  which  was  on 
top,  was  cast  aside,  revealing  some  machinery 
resting  on  the  bottom  of  the  wagon. 

"Some  farming  machinery,"  said  Fred.  "But 
why  did  they  have  it  covered  with  hay?" 

The  men  tugged  at  one  of  the  pieces  of 
machinery  and  at  last  lifted  it  from  the  wagon. 
But,  instead  of  setting  it  on  the  ground,  they  dis 
appeared  with  it  into  the  ranch. 

"Hullo !"  ejaculated  Dick.  "If  that  is  farming 
machinery,  why  are  they  taking  it  into  the 
house?" 

"Maybe  it's  a  heating  apparatus,"  suggested 
Sam. 


A  SCENE  FROM  A   TREETOP 


139 


"Yes,  they  need  it  in  this  weather,"  said  Tom 
sarcastically. 

"Well,  what  is  it,  then?" 

"That  remains  to  be  found  out,"  said  Dick. 
"This  certainly  is  a  place  of  mystery,"  he  added. 
"It  is  assuredly  no  ordinary  ranch." 

One  piece  of  machinery  after  another  was 
carried  into  the  ranch,  until  the  wagon  was  empty. 
Then  the  turnout  was  taken  into  a  big  barn  at  the 
back  of  the  ranch. 

"That  show  is  over,"  said  Songbird.  "I  won 
der  what  the  next  act  in  this  drama  will  be?" 

They  remained  at  the  top  of  the  tree  for  an 
hour  or  more.  During  that  time,  they  saw  several 
men  moving  around  the  ranch  and  some  thick 
smoke  coming  from  a  broad  chimney,  but  that 
was  all. 

"How  much  longer  are  you  going  to  stay 
here?"  asked  Sam  presently. 

"No  longer,"  answered  the  eldest  brother,  start 
ing  to  descend.  "I  am  going  to  investigate  this 
whole  thing  and  find  out  just  what  it  means!" 


CHAPTER    XVII 

THE    BANK    BILLS   ON    THE   TABLE 

"DiCK,  this  is  a  dangerous  piece  of  business," 
said  Fred,  after  the  entire  party  was  again  on  the 
ground. 

"That's  right,"  broke  in  Songbird.  "Don't 
forget  the  warning  on  the  wall  of  the  shack." 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  answered  the  eldest  Rover. 
'There  is  some  great  mystery  here,  and  I  feel  it 
ought  to  be  investigated.  Why,  those  men  may 
be  bandits,  or  something  like  that,  for  all  we 
know." 

"They  are  certainly  not  on  the  level,  or  they 
wouldn't  put  up  with  a  fellow  like  Dan  Baxter." 
came  from  Sam. 

"Dot  ist  so,"  said  Hans.  "At  der  same  dime, 
ve  ton't  vont  to  put  our  mouths  into  der  lion's 
head  alretty!" 

"I've  got  a  plan,"  said  Dick  after  a  pause.  "I 
do  not  think  it  a  wise  move  for  all  of  us  to  go 
forward  at  once.  I  think  two  will  be  enough. 
The  others  can  stay  here  and  await  developments." 

140 


THE  BANK  BILLS  ON  THE  TABLE         141 

"Then  you  have  got  to  take  me  with  you,"  said 
Sam  promptly. 

"Sam,  you  had  better  let  me  go  with  Dick,"  put 
in  Tom. 

"No,  I  want  to  go,"  insisted  the  youngest 
Rover,  and  so  it  was  at  last  decided. 

"I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  approach 
that  ranch  in  broad  daylight,"  said  Fred.  "As 
they  have  guards  on  the  road,  it  is  more  than  likely 
they  have  guards  around  the  ranch  also." 

"I  think  I'll  wait  until  night,  Fred — or  at  least 
until  it  is  dark." 

After  that  the  boys  spent  the  time  in  exploring 
the  woods  and  looking  over  the  plains  beyond. 
They  saw  several  wagon  tracks,  apparently  lead 
ing  to  nowhere  in  particular,  and  they  also  found 
something  of  a  cave,  covered  with  logs  and 
heaped-up  brushwood. 

"Something  more  to  investigate,"  said  Tom, 
and  began  to  pull  the  brushwood  away,  followed 
by  his  companions.  The  logs  followed,  and  there 
was  revealed  to  them  an  opening  at  least  twenty 
feet  square  by  half  that  in  height. 

"What  do  you  call  this?"  questioned  Tom,  as 
he  kicked  something  of  metal  lying  under  a  pile  of 
dead  leaves. 

"It's  a  roller  of  some  sort,"  answered  Songbird. 


142        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"And  see,  here  are  some  cog-wheels  and  a  lot  of 
old  shafting." 

"Machinery,  and  quite  some  of  it,  too/'  mur 
mured  Dick.  "They  must  run  a  regular  factory 
of  some  sort  here." 

"I  think  I  have  solved  the  problem!"  cried 
Fred.  "I've  read  of  this  a  number  of  times. 
This  Sack  Todd  has  a  secret  process  of  manufac 
turing  some  article  and  he  doesn't  want  anybody 
to  learn  what  the  process  is.  So  he  has  established 
himself  here  and  sworn  all  his  workmen  to 
secrecy." 

"I've  heard  of  that  myself,"  said  Tom.  "A 
man  had  a  certain  process  of  tanning  leather.  He 
kept  his  secret  for  years,  until  a  workman  got  mad 
at  him  and  gave  the  thing  away." 

Dick  was  inspecting  the  machinery  with  care. 
It  was  worn  out  and  rusted,  and  hard  to  make  out 
just  what  it  was. 

"Unless  I  am  mistaken,  these  are  parts  of  a 
printing  press,"  said  the  eldest  Rover. 

"A  printing  press?"  cried  several  of  the  others. 

"Yes.  But  that  doesn't  solve  the  mystery  of 
what  the  press  was  used  for." 

It  was  damp  and  unwholesome  in  the  cave, 
and  they  were  glad  enough  to  leave  it  and  come 
out  into  the  sunlight  once  more.  They  walked 
back  to  where  they  had  left  their  horses,  and  here 


THE  BANK  BILLS  ON  THE  TABLE         143 

procured  lunch,  and  fed  all  of  the  animals,  includ 
ing  Wags. 

Slowly  the  afternoon  wore  away.  It  began  to 
grow  cloudy,  and  so  became  dark  at  an  early 
hour. 

"We  may  as  well  start,"  said  Dick  at  last.  "We 
can  go  to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  anyway." 

"I  suppose  you  don't  know  when  you  will  be 
hack,"  said  Tom. 

"No,  but  probably  in  three  or  four  hours." 

"Take  good  care  of  yourselves." 

"We'll  try  to  do  that,"  put  in  Sam. 

"If  I  were  you,  I'd  not  expose  myself,"  was 
Fred's  advice.  "Those  chaps  are  rough  custom 
ers,  and  there  is  no  telling  what  they  would  do  if 
they  caught  you  spying  on  them." 

"That  is  true." 

A  few  words  more  followed,  and  then  Dick  and 
Sam  set  off  on  their  tour  of  inspection.  Each 
carried  a  pistol,  and  each  felt  that  he  could  take 
care  of  himself.  But  neither  dreamed  of  the  dire 
peril  which  he  was  confronting. 

They  had  left  their  horses  behind,  and  now 
found  advancing  on  foot  no  easy  task.  In  spots, 
the  undergrowth  was  so  dense  they  had  to  literally 
force  their  way  through,  and  they  also  had  to 
make  two  long  detours  to  escape  swamps  and 


144       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

treacherous  bog-holes.  The  mosquitoes  and  gnats 
were  also  bad  and  bothered  them  not  a  little. 

"I  guess  we  are  earning  all  we  are  getting  out 
of  this,"  grumbled  Sam  as  he  came  to  a  halt  after 
pulling  himself  through  a  tangle  of  bushes  and 
vines.  "Unless  we  take  care,  we'll  have  our 
jackets  ripped  off  our  backs." 

"Do  you  want  to  turn  back,  Sam?" 

"No,  but  I  guess  we  had  better  go  a  little 
slower." 

Dick  was  willing,  and,  as  a  consequence,  by  the 
time  the  edge  of  the  timber  was  reached,  the  sun 
was  sinking  over  the  hills  in  the  West,  and  it  was 
growing  dark. 

Red  Rock  ranch  was  now  in  plain  view,  not 
over  two  hundred  yards  distant.  In  front  and  to 
one  side  was  a  level  stretch.  The  reddish  rocks 
were  behind,  leading  to  a  small  hill.  There  were 
numerous  outbuildings,  and  a  heavy  barbed  fence 
surrounded  the  whole,  excepting  at  one  point, 
where  there  was  a  wide-swinging  gate  of  wire  and 
boards. 

"I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  work 
our  way  around  to  the  rocks,"  said  Dick  after 
studying  the  situation.  "We  can  work  up  from 
the  rocks  to  the  outbuildings,  and  so  on  to  the 
ranch  itself — if  we  get  the  chance." 

With  caution,  they  skirted  the  woods  and  in- 


THE  BANK  BILLS  ON  THE  TABLE         145 

side  of  quarter  of  an  hour  reached  the  first  of 
the  series  of  rocks.  As  they  crouched  behind 
these,  Dick  caught  his  brother  by  the  arm. 

"Keep  quiet/'  he  whispered.  "I  saw  a  man 
coming  from  the  barn." 

After  that,  they  remained  motionless  for  ten 
minutes.  At  a  distance,  they  saw  two  men  coming 
and  going  from  one  building  to  another.  They 
were  evidently  caring  for  the  horses,  cattle  and 
poultry  for  the  night. 

"They  are  gone,"  said  Sam  presently,  as  he 
saw  the  men  walk  toward  the  ranch  house  and 
disappear. 

"Wait — they  may  come  out  again." 

They  waited,  but  the  men  did  not  reappear,  and 
now  it  was  growing  darker  rapidly.  Look  as 
hard  as  they  might  in  all  directions,  they  could 
not  see  a  single  human  being. 

"The  coast  seems  to  be  clear  now,  Sam." 

"Yes,  but  it  won't  hurt  to  wait  a  few  minutes 
longer,"  was  the  answer. 

As  it  grew  darker,  they  saw  several  lights  lit 
in  the  ranch.  One  was  in  the  kitchen,  one  in  what 
looked  to  be  a  bedroom  and  another  in  a  small 
room  in  the  main  part  of  the  building.  The  cur 
tain  over  the  window  of  the  last-named  room  was 
up,  and  they  could  see  the  lamp  quite  plainly, 
resting  on  a  table. 


146        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Let  us  crawl  up  and  take  a  look  into  the  win 
dows,"  whispered  Dick.  "It  seems  to  be  safe 
enough  now.  If  we  hear  anybody  coming,  we 
can  lay  down  in  the  grass  or  behind  a  bush." 

Hardly  daring  to  breathe,  they  crawled  from 
the  shelter  of  the  rocks  to  the  nearest  outbuildings, 
one  given  over  to  some  chickens.  From  there, 
they  advanced  to  a  cow  shed  and  then  to  one  of 
the  big  barns. 

"I  can  see  into  the  kitchen  from  here,"  whis 
pered  Sam.  "Look!" 

They  looked,  and  by  the  light  of  a  big  bracket 
lamp,  made  out  two  men  and  a  boy  moving  about 
the  kitchen,  evidently  preparing  the  evening  meal. 
The  door  to  the  next  room  was  open,  and  they 
caught  a  glimpse  of  several  men  at  a  table  eating, 
or  waiting  to  be  served. 

"I'd  like  to  know  if  Dan  Baxter  is  in  that 
crowd,"  said  Dick. 

They  watched  the  scene  for  several  minutes, 
but  if  the  former  bully  of  Putnam  Hall  was  pres 
ent  he  did  not  show  himself.  Then  a  curtain  was 
drawn  down,  shutting  off  their  view. 

They  next  moved  to  the  bedroom  window,  and 
there  beheld  a  man  lying  on  a  couch,  smoking  a 
pipe.  He  seemed  to  be  a  refined  individual,  with 
a  clean-shaven  face  and  curly  black  hair. 

"He  doesn't  look   as  if  he  belonged  to  this 


"CAUGHT   YOU    GOOD   AND   PROPER,    DIDN'T   WE? 

from  Rover  Boys  on  the  Plains^ 


THE  BANK  BILLS  ON  THE  TABLE         147 

crowd,"  was  Dick's  comment.  "He  looks  as  if 
he  might  be  a  thorough  gentleman." 

"He  certainly  looks  like  a  city  man,"  answered 
Sam.  "Perhaps  he  has  come  to  see  this  Sack 
Todd  on  business." 

"Perhaps." 

They  watched  the  man  for  several  minutes  and 
saw  him  get  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and  read  it 
attentively.  Then  he  closed  his  eyes  as  if  to  take 
a  nap,  throwing  his  pipe  on  a  chair. 

"Whoever  he  is,  he  is  making  himself  at  home," 
observed  the  youngest  Rover. 

"Let  us  move  on  to  the  next  window,"  said  his 
brother.  "Now  is  our  best  chance  to  size  up  the 
place — while  most  of  the  crowd  are  getting  their 
supper." 

As  silently  as  before,  they  moved  along  in  the 
darkness  to  where  the  light  was  streaming  from 
the  third  window,  not  far  from  a  corner  of  the 
ranch.  Then  each  of  the  boys  raised  himself  up 
with  the  slowness  of  an  Indian  on  a  trail. 

Nobody  seemed  to  be  in  the  room,  and,  grow 
ing  bolder,  they  drew  nearer,  until  they  could  get 
a  good  view  of  the  interior.  They  saw  a  table 
and  several  chairs,  and  also  a  desk  and  a  si  !•*.  On 
the  table  was  the  lamp,  and  beside  this,  s«reral 
piles  of  new,  crisp  bank  bills. 

"My  gracious!     Look  at  the  money! 


i48       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Sam.     "Why,  there  must  be  thousands  and  thou 
sands  of  dollars  there,  Dick!" 

"You  are  right." 

"Sack  Todd  must  be  very  wealthy." 

"Unless — "  and  the  eldest  Rover  paused. 

"Unless  what?" 

"Unless  those  bank  bills  are  counterfeit" 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

DICK   AND   SAM    BECOME   PRISONERS 

"Do  you  really  think  those  are  counterfeit, 
Dick?"  gasped  Sam. 

"More  than  likely.  Don't  you  remember  the 
machinery?  That  printing  press " 

"Yes,  yes !  It's  as  clear  as  day.  This  must  be 
a  regular  den,  and  Sack  Todd " 

Sam  got  no  further,  for,  at  that  moment,  he 
felt  himself  seized  from  behind.  A  pair  of  strong 
arms  were  thrown  around  him,  so  that  he  could 
scarcely  budge. 

Dick  was  attacked  in  a  similar  fashion,  and, 
though  both  of  the  Rovers  struggled  desperately, 
they  found  that  their  assailants  had  the  advantage. 

"Caught  you  good  and  proper,  didn't  we?" 
came  in  the  voice  of  Sack  Todd. 

"Let  me  go!"  cried  Dick. 

"Not  much,  young  man.  Have  you  got  the 
other  one,  Jimson?" 

"I  have,"  answered  the  second  man,  a  fellow 
with  a  long  nose.  "And  he  won't  get  away  in  a 
hurry,  I'm  thinking." 

149 


150        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"We  had  better  take  'em  inside,"  went  on  Sack 
Todd. 

"Just  as  you  say,"  answered  Andy  Jimson.  "I 
reckon  you  boys  remember  me,"  he  went  on  with 
a  grin. 

"You  are  the  man  who  was  on  that  lumber 
raft  that  came  near  running  down  our  houseboat," 
said  Dick. 

"Struck  it,  fust  clip.  Didn't  expect  to  meet  me 
ag'in,  did  ye?" 

"I  did  not." 

"Wanted  to  shoot  me,  didn't  ye?" 

"Didn't  you  deserve  it?"  asked  Sam  boldly. 
"You  came  mighty  close  to  sinking  us." 

"Oh,  that  was  only  a  bit  of  fun  on  the  part  o* 
the  feller  who  owned  the  raft.  He  knew  what  he 
was  doin'.  But  I  reckon  you  didn't  know  what 
you  were  doin'  when  you  spied  on  Sack  and  his 
outfit,"  continued  the  long-nosed  man  sarcastically. 

"They'll  know  what  they  were  doing  before  I 
am  through  with  'em,"  said  the  owner  of  Red 
Rock  ranch. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  us?"  demanded 
Dick. 

"That  remains  to  be  seen." 

"You  had  better  let  us  go." 

At  this,  Sack  Todd  set  up  a  laugh  of  derision. 

"You'll  not  leave  here  yet  awhile,  young  man. 


DICK  AND  SAM  BECOME  PRISONERS      151 

I  heard  what  you  and  your  friend  said  just  before 
we  closed  in  on  you.  Do  you  suppose  I  am  going 
to  let  you  get  out  and  blab  about  what  you  have 
discovered  ?" 

His  harsh  tone  made  both  Dick  and  Sam  shiver. 
They  felt  that  they  were  dealing  with  a  hardened 
criminal  and,  most  likely,  one  who  would  stop  at 
nothing  in  order  to  attain  his  object. 

"I  must  say  it  was  a  fool  move  to  let  that  money 
lay  around  loose,"  was  Andy  Jimson's  comment, 
and  he  nodded  toward  the  piles  of  bank  bills. 

"One  of  the  men  just  brought  them  up,  and  I 
hadn't  time  to  put  them  away,"  explained  the 
owner  of  the  ranch.  "Besides,  I  didn't  think 
there  were  spies  around." 

"Maybe  there  are  more  of  them,  Sack." 

"That's  so !"  ejaculated  Sack  Todd.  He  turned 
to  the  boys:  "Have  you  any  friends  near?" 

"That  is  for  you  to  find  out,"  answered  Dick. 
"You  can  be  sure  of  one  thing,  though,"  he  added. 
"If  you  don't  let  us  go,  you  will  get  into  serious 
trouble." 

"There  was  a  big  crowd  of  'em  on  that  house 
boat,"  put  in  Jimson. 

"I  know  there  was  a  crowd — I  met  'em  some 
days  ago.  We'll  march  these  off  and  then  look 
around  and  see  if  there  are  others,"  continued  the 
owner  of  Red  Rock  ranch. 


152        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

As  it  would  have  been  useless  to  struggle,  the 
boys  did  not  attempt  to  get  away.  Both  Sack 
Todd  and  Jimson  were  heavily  armed,  and  Dick 
and  Sam  felt  that  they  would  shoot  upon  the 
slightest  provocation. 

The  owner  of  the  ranch  uttered  a  shrill  whistle, 
and  in  a  moment  two  men  came  running  out  of 
the  dining-room  of  the  ranch.  Each  carried  a 
gun. 

"What's  wanted,  boss?"  they  asked. 

"We  have  captured  two  spies,"  answered  Sack 
Todd. 

"Spies!" 

"Yes.  We  want  you  to  place  them  down  belovr 
and  then  come  and  follow  us.  We  are  going  to 
see  if  there  are  any  more  of  them  around." 

The  two  men  placed  their  guns  over  their  backs 
and  took  hold  of  Sam  and  Dick. 

"Don't  let  them  slip  you,"  added  the  owner  of 
the  ranch.  "I  reckon  they're  a  pretty  slick  pair." 

"They  shan't  slip  us;  eh,  Spud?" 

"Nary  a  slip,  Scutty,"  returned  the  second  new 
comer. 

"Then  you  don't  intend  to  let  us  go?"  asked 
Dick. 

"No." 

"This  is  a  high-handed  proceeding." 

"Is  it?    Well,  down  here,  we  sometimes  take 


DICK  AND  SAM  BECOME  PRISONERS      153 

the  law  into  our  own  hands,"  chuckled  the  owner 
of  Red  Rock  ranch. 

"Then,  if  the  law  ever  gets  hold  of  you.  it  will 
go  so  much  harder  with  you,"  said  Sam. 

"Bah!  Do  you  suppose  I  am  going  to  argue 
with  a  kid  like  you?"  growled  Sack  Todd.  "Take 
'em  below,"  he  said,  turning  to  his  men. 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  as  others  were  coming 
to  the  scene.  As  the  boys  marched  into  the  ranch, 
they  came  face  to  face  with  Dan  Baxter. 

"Dick  Rover!"  gasped  the  bully.  "And  Sam! 
What  does  this  mean?" 

"So  you  know  these  fellows?"  said  one  of  the 
men. 

"Of  course  I  do.  I  was  telling  Sack  Todd 
about  them.  I  used  to  go  to  school  with  them. 
What  are  they  doing  here?" 

"The  boss  and  Jimson  found  them  spying 
around  the  place." 

"Oh,  I  see."  Dan  Baxter  grinned.  "So  you've 
got  yourselves  in  a  nice  pickle,  eh  ?" 

"Baxter,  have  you  joined  this  crowd?"  asked 
Dick. 

The  bully  started. 

"Why — that's  my  business,"  he  stammered. 

"Perhaps  it  is,  but  you  might  be  in  something* 
better,"  put  in  Sam. 

"Oh,  you  needn't  preach  to  me!" 


154        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Don't  you  know  that  these  men  are  counter 
feiters?"  added  Dick. 

"You  had  better  shut  up,  kid,"  put  in  one  of 
the  men.  "You  are  in  our  power,  and  the  less  you 
say,  the  better  off  you'll  be,  see?" 

"I  have  spoken  nothing  but  the  truth." 

"That  may  be  so,  too;  but  folks  don't  always 
like  to  hear  the  truth." 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them?"  ques 
tioned  Dan  Baxter  curiously. 

"Put  them  in  a  place  we  have  ready  for  just 
such  skunks." 

"Prisoners?" 

"Sure." 

"Down  below?" 

"That's  it." 

Dan  Baxter  grinned  to  himself,  and  then  leered 
at  Sam  and  Dick. 

"You  won't  like  that.  It's  pretty  musty  under 
ground,  and  wet,  too." 

"I'd  rather  go  there  than  do  what  you  have 
done,  Baxter,"  answered  Dick. 

"What  have  I  done?" 

"You  have  joined  these  law-breakers;  you  need 
not  deny  it." 

"Humph !" 

"You  may  think  it  smart,  but  some  day  you'll 


rue  it." 


DICK  AND  SAM  BECOME  PRISONERS      155 

"I  don't  think  so.  As  it  is,  the  law  and  I  are 
not  very  good  friends,"  and  Dan  Baxter  laughed 
harshly. 

"I  can't  listen  to  your  talk  all  night,"  put  in 
one  of  the  men.  "March !"  the  latter  word  to  the 
prisoners. 

They  had  been  disarmed,  so  there  was  no  help 
for  it,  and  they  walked  through  the  ranch  to 
where  there  was  a  big  trap-door  in  the  floor.  This 
was  raised  up,  disclosing  a  flight  of  wooden  steps. 

"Down  you  go !"  was  the  next  order. 

They  went  down,  side  by  side,  to  find  them 
selves  in  a  narrow  cellar.  At  a  distance,  they 
made  out  a  light,  coming  from  the  crack  of  a  door. 
A  lantern  was  lit,  and  they  were  ordered  to  a 
passageway  at  the  end  of  the  cellar.  Beyond  was 
something  of  a  cell,  built  of  stone  and  heavy  tim 
bers,  with  a  thick  door  that  was  bolted  and  locked. 

"In  you  go,"  said  one  of  the  men,  shoving  Dick 
forward. 

"Is  this  where  you  intend  to  keep  us  ?" 

"Yes." 

"For  how  long?" 

"That  is  for  the  boss  to  decide." 

"It's  a  wretched  place,"  said  Sam,  looking 
around.  "It  isn't  fit  for  a  dog  to  stay  in." 

"That's  not  my  fault.  You  brought  this  on 
yourself,"  said  the  man. 


156        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"When  a  kid  takes  it  on  himself  to  play  the 
spy,  he  must  take  what  comes,"  said  the  other 
man  as  he  shoved  Sam  in  behind  his  brother. 

The  cell  was  foul-smelling  and  damp,  and  both 
of  the  boys  shivered  as  they  looked  around  them. 

"Will  you  leave  us  a  light?"  asked  the  youngest 
Rover. 

"We'll  leave  you  nothing,"  said  one  of  the  men 
as  he  bolted  and  locked  the  heavy  door.  "Come 
on,  now,"  he  added  to  his  companion.  "The  boss 
will  be  wondering  what  is  keeping  us  so  long." 

A  moment  later  the  two  men  walked  off,  leav 
ing  poor  Sam  and  Dick  prisoners  in  the  dark, 
underground  cell 


CHAPTER    XIX 

PETER   POLL,    THE   DOLT 

AFTER  Sam  and  Dick  had  departed,  the  camp 
in  the  woods  seemed  unusually  lonesome  to  those 
left  behind. 

"I  wish  I  had  gone  along,"  said  Tom,  not  once, 
but  several  times. 

"Of  da  only  come  pack  in  safdy,"  was  Hans' 
comment. 

To  pass  the  time,  Songbird  tried  to  make  up< 
some  poetry,  but  nobody  cared  to  listen  to  him, 
and  he  soon  subsided.  The  death-like  quiet  felt 
to  them  as  if  it  was  the  hour  before  the  storm. 

"Are  you  fellows  going  to  sleep  ?"  asked  Fred 
as  it  began  to  grow  late. 

"You  can  go,  Fred/'  said  Tom.  "I'm  going  to 
stay  awake  until  Sam  and  Dick  get  back." 

"Then  I'll  stay  awake,  too." 

To  tell  the  truth,  nobody  felt  like  sleeping,  and 
all  huddled  together  in  a  hollow,  close  to  where 
the  horses  had  been  tethered.  Wags  came  and 
rested  his  head  in  Tom's  hand. 

"Old  boy,  you  know  we  are  worried,  don't 
157 


158        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

you  ?"  said  Tom,  and  the  dog  looked  up  as  if  he 
understood. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  their  watches  pointed 
to  midnight.  Then  Songbird  stretched  himself. 

"I  am  so  sleepy  I  can  scarcely  keep  my  eyes 
open,"  he  said  with  a  yawn. 

"Then  go  to  sleep,"  said  Tom. 

"I  take  a  leetle  nap,  too,"  said  Hans,  and  soon 
both  were  slumbering,  leaving  Tom  and  Fred  on 
guard.  They  wished  they  had  a  fire — it  would 
make  things  more  cheerful — but  they  did  not  dare 
to  indulge  themselves,  for  fear  their  enemies 
might  see  the  light. 

By  the  time  it  was  three  in  the  morning,  even 
Fred  could  hold  out  no  longer.  He  dropped 
off,  leaving  Tom  to  keep  the  vigil  by  himself.  But 
soon  Songbird  started  up. 

"Have  they  come  back,  Tom?"  he  ajked. 

"Not  yet." 

"They  must  be  making  some  wonderfu1  dis 
coveries.  Hullo !  so  the  others  went  to  sleep,  too  ? 
Don't  you  want  a  nap  ?" 

"Well,  I'll  take  forty  winks,  if  you'll  promise 
to  keep  a  good  lookout." 

"I'll  do  that.    I'm  as  fresh  as  a  daisy  now." 

Tom  leaned  back  against  a  tree,  and  in  a  minute 
more  was  in  slumber-land.  When  the  others 
awoke,  they  did  not  disturb  him,  consequently  it 


PETER  POLL,  THE  DOLT 

was  some  time  after  sunrise  when  he  opened  his 
eyes. 

"I  declare !  I've  had  a  regular  sleep !"  he  cried. 
"Why  didn't  you  wake  me  up?" 

"We  didn't  think  it  necessary,"  said  Fred. 

"Have  they  got  back?" 

"No." 

At  this,  Tom's  face  grew  serious. 

"That's  strange,  and  I  must  say  I  don't  like  it." 

"Oh,  I  guess  they'll  show  up  before  a  great 
while,"  answered  Fred.  "They  couldn't  travel 
very  well  in  the  dark.  If  they  tried  it,  they'd  be 
sure  to  get  lost." 

Once  more,  they  unpacked  the  provisions  they 
had  brought  along  and  made  a  leisurely  break 
fast.  Then  they  packed  their  things  again  and 
waited. 

"I  am  going  up  to  the  top  of  a  tree  and  take 
another  look  around,"  announced  Tom  about  ten 
o'clock.  He  could  scarcely  stand  the  suspense. 

"I'll  do  the  same,"  said  Songbird,  and  soon  they 
were  in  the  top  of  a  tall  tree  and  gazing  axiously 
in  the  direction  of  Red  Rock  ranch. 

The  place  looked  to  be  deserted. 

"Not  a  sign  of  Dick  and  Sam  anywhere,"  said 
the  fun-loving  Rover. 

For  reply,  Songbird  hummed  softly  to  himself; 


160        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"The  woods  and  plains  are  everywhere, 
But  for  those  things  we  do  not  care. 
In  every  nook  and  every  place 
We  look  for  a  familiar  face. 
What  has  become  of  those  we  cherish? 
Are  they  alive,  or  did  they  perish?" 

"Don't  go  on  that  way,  Songbird,  you  give  a 
fellow  the  blues,"  cried  Tom.  "If  I  thought  Dick 
and  Sam  had  perished " 

"Merely  a  figure  of  speech,  Tom.  I  had  to  find 
a  word  to  rhyme  with  cherish,  that's  all." 

"And  such  a  word  is  rarish,  I  suppose,"  mur 
mured  Tom.  "Honest,  this  is  no  joking  matter," 
he  continued  soberly. 

"I  know  it,  and  I  wish  Sam  and  Dick  were 
back." 

They  continued  to  watch  the  ranch  and  pres 
ently  saw  a  boy  come  out  with  a  bundle  under  his 
arm  and  a  fishing  pole  over  his  shoulder. 

"There's  a  boy,  and  he  is  coming  this  way!" 
cried  the  poetic  youth. 

They  watched  the  boy  as  long  as  they  could 
and  saw  him  turn  to  the  northward  and  take  to  a 
[trail  running  close  to  a  fair-sized  stream. 

"I  think  he  is  going  fishing,"  said  Tom.  "I'd 
like  to  run  across  him  and  question  him." 

They  watched  the  boy  as  long  as  they  could, 
and  then  climbed  down  the  tree  and  told  the  other? 
of  what  they  had  seen. 


PETER  POLL,  THE  DOLT  161 

"I  am  going  after  him,"  said  Tom.  "You 
stay  here  until  I  get  back." 

"I  am  going  along,"  said  Songbird,  and  so  it 
was  arranged. 

A  few  minutes  of  walking  brought  them  to  the 
stream  of  water,  and  they  walked  along  the  bank 
of  this  a  distance  of  quarter  of  a  mile,  when 
Tom  called  a  halt. 

'There  is  the  boy  now — sitting  on  a  rock,  fish 
ing,"  he  whispered.  "Don't  scare  him  off." 

They  crept  into  the  shelter  of  the  trees  and 
came  out  again  directly  behind  the  boy,  who  had 
just  landed  a  good-sized  fish  and  was  baiting  up 
again.  He  was  a  small  boy,  with  an  old-looking 
face  covered  with  a  fuzz  of  reddish  hair.  He 
had  yellowish  eyes  that  had  a  vacant  stare  in 
them. 

"Hullo!"  cried  Tom. 

The  boy  jumped  as  if  a  bomb  had  gone  off 
close  to  his  ear.  His  fishing  pole  dropped  into 
the  stream  and  floated  off. 

"Out  for  a  day's  sport?"  asked  Tom  pleasantly. 

The  uoy  stared  at  him  and  muttered  something 
neither  Tom  nor  Songbird  could  understand. 

"What  did  you  say?"  asked  the  fun-loving 
Rover. 

"Poor  fishing  pole!"  murmured  the  boy. 
"Now  Peter  can't  fish  any  more !" 


162        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Is  that  your  name — Peter?"  asked  Tom.  He 
saw  that  the  boy  was  not  just  right  in  his  mind. 

"Yes." 

"Peter  what?" 

"No,  no !  Peter  Poll— pretty  Peter  Poll,  who 
will  be  rich  some  day — if  he  does  not  tell  all  he 
knows,"  said  the  boy,  repeating  the  words  in 
parrot-like  fashion. 

"Do  you  live  at  Red  Rock  ranch?"  asked 
Songbird. 

The  boy  bobbed  his  head  up  and  down 
vigorously. 

"With  Mr.  SackTodd?" 

Again  the  boy  nodded. 

"What  do  you  do  there?" 

"Wash  dishes  and  cook.  But  Peter  will  be  rich 
some  day — if  he  doesn't  tell  all  he  knows,"  went 
on  the  boy.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  he  flapped  his 
two  arms  and  crowed  like  a  rooster. 

"He  is  a  dolt!"  whispered  Songbird  to  Tom, 
and  the  latter  nodded. 

"The  poor  fishing  pole — it  will  be  drowned/' 
went  on  the  dolt. 

"Never  mind,  I'll  pay  you  for  it,  Peter/'  said 
Tom,  and  drew  a  silver  coin  from  his  pocket 
"So  you  live  with  Mr.  Todd.  How  do  you 
like  it?" 

"Peter  must  not  tell  all  he  knows." 


PETER  POLL,  THE  DOLT  163 

"Does  he  treat  you  kindly?" 

"Peter  gets  sugar  sometimes — an6  he  is  to  have 
a  pipe  and  tobacco  soon." 

"Did  you  see  anything  of  two  ctrangers  last 
night?"  continued  Tom  in  a  sterner  fcone.  "Two 
boys  about  my  own  age?" 

"Peter  must  not  tell " 

"You  answer  me,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for 
you!"  and  now  Tom  caught  the  simple-minded 
youth  by  the  collar.  He  did  not  intend  to  harm 
the  lad,  but  he  wanted  to  make  him  speak. 

"Oh,  oh !  let  me  go !"  screamed  the  dolt.  "Let 
me  go  for  a  hundred-dollar  bill !  A  brand  new 
one!" 

"A  what?"  asked  Songbird  curiously. 

"Peter  must  not  tell  all " 

"You  answer  my  question,"  broke  in  Tom, 
facing  the  boy  and  searching  his  eyes.  "Did  you 
see  those  two  boys  last  night  or  not  ?" 

"Peter  must  not " 

"Answer!"  and  now  Tom  had  the  lad  by  the 
ear. 

"Yes — yes — I  saw  them." 

"Did  anybody  else  see  them?" 

"Peter  must  not " 

"Peter,  do  you  want  to  be  drowned  in  the 
river?" 

"No,  no!" 


164        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Then  tell  me  all  you  know  about  the  boys." 

"Sack  Todd  will  kill  me!  Peter  must  not 
tell " 

"Did  Sack  Todd  see  the  boys?"  , 

"Yes;  he  caught  them — he  and  Andy  Jimson 
— at  the  window !  Peter  must  not  tell " 

"Caught!"  gasped  Tom.  "Were  they  made 
prisoners?" 

The  boy  nodded,  and  then  crowed  like  a  rooster 
once  more. 

"Where  were  the  prisoners  put?" 

"Down,  down,  down — in  the  deep  hole  where 
the  water  flows — down  where  they  want  to  put 
Peter  if  he  tells  all  he  knows.  But  I  shan't  tell 
anything — not  a  thing!"  and  his  eyes  blazed 
fiercely.  "Not  a  thing!" 

"Poor  Dick  and  Sam  have  been  captured  and 
are  prisoners  in  some  vile  place,"  groaned  Tom. 
''What  will  become  of  them?" 


CHAPTER    XX 

AN    OFFER    FROM    THE   ENEMY 

"THIS  is  a  cheerful  outlook,  I  must  say  i 
wonder  how  long  it  is  going  to  last?" 

The  question  came  from  Sam,  after  an  hcnir 
had  been  spent  in  the  damp  and  lonely  cell  under 
Red  Rock  ranch. 

"That  is  a  riddle  to  me,  Sam,"  answered  Dick. 
"I  don't  think  they  will  let  us  go  in  a  hurry.  We 
have  learned  too  much." 

"Do  you  imagine  they  will  find  Tom  and  the 
others?" 

"I  hope  not.  If  they  do,  we'll  be  in  a  pickle, 
for  I  guess  it  will  be  Tom  and  the  others  who  will 
have  to  get  us  out  of  this  hole." 

"I  wish  we  had  a  light." 

"I  am  afraid  it  would  do  us  small  good.  This 
seems  to  have  been  built  for  a  regular  prison,  and 
I  suppose  the  only  way  out  is  through  the  door, 
and  that  is  securely  fastened." 

The  two  Rovers  were  in  no  cheerful  frame  of 
mind.  They  realized  that  Sack  Todd  was  much 
exercised  over  the  fact  that  they  had  discovered 


166        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

the  secret  of  the  ranch,  and  what  he  would  do  to 
them  in  consequence  there  was  no  telling. 

"Perhaps  we'll  never  get  away  from  here 
alive!"  cried  Sam  after  another  talk. 

"Oh,  I  don't  think  he'll  dare  to  go  as  far  as 
that,  Sam.  He  knows  we  have  friends  and  that 
they  will  do  all  in  their  power  to  rescue  us  or  find 
out  what  has  become  of  us." 

Another  hour  went  by,  so  slowly  that  it  seemed 
three.  Then,  of  a  sudden,  Dick  uttered  an 
exclamation. 

"I've  struck  a  prize,  Sam !" 

"What  is  it?" 

"A  bit  of  candle." 

"Humph!  What  good  will  that  do,  if  you 
haven't  any  match?" 

"But  I  have  several  matches,"  answered  the 
eldest  Rover,  and  a  second  later  came  a  faint 
scratch,  and  then  the  bit  of  candle,  dirty  and 
mouse-gnawed,  was  lit. 

It  was  not  much  of  a  light,  but  it  was  far  better 
than  nothing,  and  both  boys  felt  light-hearted 
when  they  could  see  each  other  once  more.  i 

"Let  us  make  another  examination  of  the  hole," 
suggested  Dick.  "Something  may  have  slipped 
us  before." 

They  went  over  eack  part  of  the  walls  with 


AN  OFFER  FROM  THE  ENEMY  167 

great  care.  On  one  side,  a  portion  of  the  stones 
was  set  in  squarely. 

"This  looks  as  if  they  had  at  one  time  closed 
some  sort  of  a  passageway  here/'  remarked  Dick. 
\"I  should  like  to  know  what  is  beyond." 

"Can't  we  pick  out  one  or  two  stones?" 

"We  can  try." 

The  candle  was  set  down  on  the  stone  flooring, 
close  to  the  wall,  and  the  two  lads  started  to  work 
without  delay.  In  a  corner  of  his  jacket,  Dick 
found  an  old  jack-knife  that  had  not  been  taken 
away  from  him,  and  this  he  used  on  the  mortar. 
Sam  had  nothing  but  a  long,  rusty  iron  nail,  so 
their  progress  was  necessarily  slow. 

"Don't  seem  to  be  making  much  headway/' 
observed  Sam,  after  pegging  away  for  a  while. 
"Wish  we  had  a  hammer  and  a  cold  chisel." 

"If  we  used  a  hammer  they  could  hear  us, 
Sam." 

At  last  they  had  one  stone  loose  and  pulled  it 
out  of  the  wall.  Holding  up  the  light,  they  saw 
that  there  was  a  wall  of  plain  dirt  behind  it. 

"Beaten !"  muttered  the  youngest  Rover,  and  a 
disappointed  look  came  over  his  face.  "Dick,  we 
have  had  our  labor  for  our  pains." 

"I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,  Sam." 

"Why  not,  I'd  like  to  know?  That  doesn't 
look  much  like  a  passageway." 


168        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"That  is  true,  but  we  may  be  able  to  dig 
through  the  dirt  without  great  trouble,  and  if  this 
spot  is  close  to  the  outer  wall  of  the  building " 

"Oh,  I  see,"  and  Sam's  face  took  on  a  more  , 
hopeful  look.  "But  it  might  take  a  long  time/ 
anyway,"  and  his  face  fell  once  more. 

They  had  just  started  to  loosen  a  second  stone, 
when  the  candle  began  to  splutter.  They  saved 
it  as  much  as  they  could,  but  in  five  minutes  it 
flickered  for  the  last  time  and  went  out,  leaving 
them  in  a  darkness  that  seemed  more  intense  than 
ever. 

"We  might  as  well  continue  to  work,"  said  Dick 
as  bravely  as  he  could.  "There  is  nothing  else 
to  do." 

But,  at  the  end  of  an  hour,  they  had  to  give  up 
the  task.  All  of  the  stones  around  the  hole  they 
had  made  refused  to  budge,  and,  as  the  opening 
was  not  over  eight  inches  in  diameter,  it  availed 
them  nothing. 

"It  is  no  use,  Sam,"  said  Dick  finally.  "We 
are  simply  wearing  ourselves  out  for  nothing. 
Give  it  up/*  ( 

Both  boys  were  exhausted,  but  were  too  much 
disturbed  to  take  a  good  sleep.  Yet,  as  they  sat 
on  a  bench,  the  eyes  of  each  closed,  and  he  took 
a  series  of  naps,  arousing  at  every  unusual  sound 
that  penetrated  to  the  underground  cell. 


AN  OFFER  FROM  THE  ENEMY  169 

Overhead,  everything  had  become  unusually 
quiet,  but  toward  morning  came  heavy  footsteps, 
and  they  heard  the  opening  and  closing  of  an 
outer  door. 

"Somebody  has  come  in,"  said  Sam.  "I  won 
der  if  it  is  the  party  that  went  to  look  for  Tom 
and  the  others?" 

"More  than  likely.  I  wish  I  knew  if  they  dis 
covered  anything,  or  if  Tom  managed  to  keep  out 
of  sight." 

Again  there  was  silence,  and  once  more  the 
boys  dozed  off,  not  to  rouse  up  until  there  came 
the  unlocking  of  the  cell  door.  Sack  Todd  stood 
there,  lantern  in  hand,  and  beside  him  Andy 
Jimson. 

"Hope  you  had  a  good  night's  sleep,"  said  the 
owner  of  Red  Rock  ranch. 

"Fine,"  answered  Dick  sarcastically.  "Your 
feather  beds  can't  be  beat." 

"And  the  quilts  were  extra  warm,"  put  in  Sam, 
catching  his  cue  from  his  brother. 

"Humph!  Your  night  here  doesn't  seem  to 
have  tamed  you  down  much,"  growled  Sack  Todd. 

"I  said  they  were  gamy  youngsters,"  came 
from  the  long-nosed  man.  "They  showed  that 
when  they  were  on  the  houseboat." 

"I  want  to  question  you,"  said  Sack  Todd, 


iyo       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

setting  down  his  lantern.  "How  many  were  there 
in  your  party?" 

"How  many  did  you  catch?"  questioned  Dick, 
at  the  same  time  pinching  his  brother's  arm  to 
make  Sam  keep  quiet. 

"You  answer  my  question,  boy!"  growled  the 
owner  of  the  ranch. 

"Why  don't  you  answer  mine?" 

"I  am  not  here  to  answer  questions." 

"Who  said  I  was,  then?" 

"You  are  a  prisoner." 

"You  had  better  answer  up,  if  you  know  what's 
good  fer  you,"  broke  in  Andy  Jimson.  "Sack 
doesn't  stand  for  any  nonsense." 

"Tell  me,  how  many  were  in  your  party?"  re 
peated  the  owner  of  the  ranch. 

"Something  less  than  half  a  hundred." 

"What!"  The  owner  of  Red  Rock  ranch 
leaped  to  his  feet,  and  then  sat  down  again  on  a 
bench  opposite  the  two  Rovers.  "You  are 
fooling." 

"All  right;  then  don't  question  me." 

"They  must  have  organized  a  regular  searching 
party,"  burst  out  the  long-nosed  man.  "If  they 
did,  Sack,  we  are  in  for  it." 

"It's  all  talk,  Andy.  They  couldn't  get  up  such 
a  party  around  here.  Folks  know  better  than  to 
bother  me.  Besides,  they  know  I  am  a  good 


AN  OFFER  FROM  THE  ENEMY  171 

spender,  and  they  like  to  help,  not  hinder,  me," 
and  the  ranch  owner  winked. 

"Are  you  boys  going  to  tell  me  the  plain  truth, 
or  not?"  demanded  Sack  Todd  after  a  pause. 

"What  I  want  to  know  is :  what  do  you  intend 
to  do  with  us?"  returned  Dick. 

"That  will  depend  on  yourselves,  young  man." 

"Will  you  explain?"  asked  Sam. 

"You  came  here  entirely  uninvited — you  have 
got  to  take  the  consequences." 

"That  doesn't  explain  anything,"  put  in  Dick. 

"You  have  learned  a  very  important  secret.  If 
that  secret  was  given  to  the  world  at  large,  it 
would  spell  ruin  for  me  and  all  of  my  associates," 
went  on  Sack  Todd. 

"That  is  your  fault,  not  ours." 

"Bah!  Don't  talk  like  a  child,  Rover.  Do 
you  think  I'll  allow  a  couple  of  boys  to  ruin  me? 
Not  much !" 

"Well,  what  do  you  intend  to  do — keep  us 
prisoners?" 

"I  must  see  about  the  others  first.  After  that, 
I'll  make  you  an  offer." 

"What  sort  of  an  offer?"  broke  in  Sam. 

"You'll  either  have  to  join  us,  or  take  the 
consequences." 

"Join  you !"  gasped  Sam  and  Dick  in  a  breath, 

"That  is  what  I  said." 


1 72        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I'll  never  do  it!"  came  quickly  from  Dick. 

"It's  foolish  to  think  of  it,"  added  Sam.  "We 
are  not  criminals." 

"You  had  better  give  the  matter  careful  con 
sideration.  If  you  won't  join  us — "  The  ranch 
owner  paused. 

"What?"  asked  both  boys. 

"I  shouldn't  like  to  say.  One  thing  is  certain, 
though :  you  shall  never  leave  Red  Rock  ranch  to 
expose  us." 

"That's  the  talk!"  put  in  Andy  Jimson.  "You 
had  better  make  up  your  mind  to  join  us,  just  as 
that  other  young  fellow  did." 

"You  mean  Dan  Baxter?" 

"Yes." 

"Has  he  really  joined?"  questioned  Dick  with 
interest. 

"To  be  sure  he  has,  and  he'll  make  a  good  thing 
out  of  it,  too." 

"In  what  way?" 

"In  what  way  ?    Can't  he  have  all  the  spending 
money  he  wants?     What  more  does   a   fellow 
need?" 
'      "Counterfeit  money,  you  mean?" 

"What's  the  difference,  so  long  as  it  passes?" 

"Maybe  you'll  get  caught  passing  it  some  day," 
.said  Sam. 

"It  is  not  likely.     We  are  careful,  and  the 


AN  OFFER  FROM  THE  ENEMY  173 

money  made  here  is  very  close  to  the  real 
thing." 

"Don't  tell  the  kids  everything,"  broke  in  Sack 
Todd. 

At  that  moment  there  came  a  shrill  whistle 
from  the  top  of  the  stairs  leading  to  the  cell. 

"Hullo !  I'm  wanted !"  cried  the  owner  of  Red 
Rock  ranch.  "Come  on,  Andy,  we'll  finish  this 
talk  some  other  time."  And  he  stepped  to  the 
doorway.  Both  were  soon  outside,  the  door  was 
fastened  as  before,  and  off  the  men  hurried, 
leaving  Sam  and  Dick  in  anything  but  a  com 
fortable  frame  of  mind. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

THROUGH    THE    FOREST 

THE  knowledge  that  Sam  and  Dick  had  been 
made  prisoners  by  those  at  Red  Rock  ranch  was 
most  discouraging  to  Tom  and  Songbird. 

"They  are  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,"  said  the 
fun-loving  Rover.  "That  must  mean  that  they 
are  in  some  sort  of  dungeon." 

"More  than  likely  they  have  a  place  for  pris 
oners  at  the  ranch,"  returned  Songbird.  "The 
question  is,  now  that  we  have  learned  so  much: 
what's  to  do  about  it?" 

"We  must  rescue  Sam  and  Dick." 

"That  may  be  easier  said  than  done,  Tom.  My 
idea  is,  the  fellows  at  the  ranch  are  desperate 
characters — horse  thieves,  or  worse." 

"No  horse  thieves  there!"  burst  out  Peter  Poll, 

who  had  listened  to  the  talk  in  wonder.     "Sack 

JTodd  is  rich — piles  of  money,  piles.     But  Peter 

must  not  tell  all  he  knows!"  he  added  with  a 

whine. 

"So  Sack  Todd  is  rich  ?"  questioned  Tom. 

"Piles  of  money — fine  bank  bills,  I  can  tell  you ! 

*74 


THROUGH  THE  FOREST  175 

Some  day  Peter  will  be  a  millionaire !  But  Peter 
must  not  tell " 

"Say,  perhaps  this  dolt  isn't  telling  the  truth," 
cried  Songbird.  "He  seems  to  be  more  than  a 
button  short." 

"Button,  button,  who's  got  the  button!"  sang 
out  the  foolish  boy.  "Played  that  once — lots  of 
fun.  Let  us  play  now."  And  he  started  to  pull 
a  button  from  his  jacket. 

"Come  with  us,  Peter,"  said  Tom.  "Come,  we 
won't  hurt  you." 

"Where  do  you  want  Peter  to  go?" 

"Not  very  far  away.  Come,  we  will  give  you 
something  nice  to  eat." 

Now,  as  it  happened,  eating  was  one  of  the 
dolt's  weak  points,  and  he  readily  consented  to 
accompany  them.  Without  loss  of  time,  they 
made  their  way  back  to  where  Fred  and  Hans 
had  been  left. 

"Hullo!  who  vos  dot?"  ejaculated  the  German 
youth  as  they  hove  in  sight. 

"This  is  a  boy  we  picked  up  along  the  stream," 
answered  Tom,  and  then  drew  the  others  aside 
and  told  his  story. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  next?''  questioned 
Fred  seriously.  "It  is  certainly  too  bad  Sam  and 
Dick  are  prisoners.  We  must  take  care  that  we 
are  not  captured." 


176        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"The  mystery  of  the  ranch  grows  deeper,"  said 
Songbird.  "I  rather  wish  we  had  some  officers 
of  the  law  to  consult.  We  could  then  ride  right 
up  to  the  ranch  and  make  our  demands." 

"It  may  come  to  that  before  we  get  through," 
answered  Tom. 

"That  dolt  may  not  be  telling  the  truth,  Tom." 

"Well,  he  has  told  some  truth  anyway,  for  if 
Sam  and  Dick  are  free,  why  don't  they  show  up 
here?" 

They  did  their  best  to  make  Peter  Poll  tell 
them  more  concerning  himself  and  those  at  the 
ranch.  But  the  foolish  boy  was  growing  more 
and  more  suspicious,  and  would  scarcely  answer 
a  question. 

"Peter  wants  the  fine  eating  you  promised  him," 
said  he,  but  when  they  spread  before  him  the  best 
the  camp  afforded,  he  broke  into  a  wild  laugh  of 
derision. 

"Call  that  good !"  he  shrieked.  "That  is  noth 
ing!  You  ought  to  see  one  of  the  spreads  at  the 
ranch — especially  when  the  men  from  Washing 
ton  and  Chicago  come  down.  Everything  of  the 
best  to  eat  and  to  drink!  This  is  plain  cowboy 
food.  Peter  wants  something  better — roast  lamb, 
peas  and  pie!" 

"This  is  the  best  we  hare,  Peter,"  said  Tom. 


THROUGH  THE  FOREST  177 

"I  am  sorry  you  do  not  care  for  it.  So  they  have 
feasts  at  the  ranch,  eh?" 

"Peter  must  not  tell  all  he  knows."  The  fool 
ish  boy  started  up.  "Peter  is  going." 

"Don't  go  yet !"  cried  Tom. 

"Peter  must  go  to  the  other  ranch — boss  told 
him  so — after  he  got  through  fishing.  Going 
now."  And,  with  a  sudden  jerk,  he  tore  himself 
loose  and  was  off  like  the  wind  among  the  trees. 

"Hi !"  cried  Songbird.  "Hadn't  we  better  stop 
him?" 

Tom  was  already  after  the  dolt.  But  the  fool 
ish  boy  seemed  to  have  legs  like  those  of  a  deer 
for  swiftness,  and  before  they  realized  it  he  was 
out  of  sight.  He  knew  how  to  run  with  but  little 
noise,  so  it  became  almost  impossible  to  follow 
him. 

"Will  he  go  back  to  the  ranch,  do  you  think  ?" 
asked  Fred  after  the  momentary  excitement  was 
over. 

"He  said  something  about  going  to  the  other 
ranch,"  returned  Tom.  "What  he  meant  by  it,  I 
don't  know." 

"Well,  he  is  gone,  so  we  shall  have  to  make  the 
best  of  it,"  went  on  Fred.  "I  trust,  though,  that 
he  doesn't  get  us  into  trouble." 

The  boys  sat  down  in  the  temporary  camp,  and 


178        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

there  Tom  and  Songbird  gave  all  the  details  of 
how  they  had  fallen  in  with  Peter  Poll. 

"I  suppose  those  rough  characters  make  him 
,  do  all  sorts  of  dirty  work,"  said  Fred.    'The  boy 
isn't  really  responsible." 

After  a  long  consultation,  it  was  decided  to 
leave  the  neighborhood  and  move  to  the  other 
side  of  Red  Rock  ranch.  This  would  tend  to 
throw  the  enemy  off  the  trail,  if  the  dolt  should 
go  back  and  relate  what  had  occurred. 

"Dis  vos  gitting  so  interesting  like  a  story 
book,"  was  Hans'  comment.  "I  only  vish  I  could 
see  der  last  page  alretty!" 

"We  all  wish  that,"  laughed  Tom.  "Then  we'd 
know  if  the  villain  dies  and  the  girl  marries  the 
millionaire,"  and  this  sally  brought  forth  a  short 
laugh. 

The  things  were  packed  rapidly,  and  soon  they 
were  on  horseback  and  leading  the  steeds  Sam  and 
Dick  had  ridden.     They  had  to  ford  the  stream 
where  the  dolt  had  been  captured,  and  here  the 
horses  obtained  a  refreshing  drink. 
\     "Some  day  I  suppose  this  whole  forest  will  fall 
/before  the  woodman's  ax,"  remarked  Songbird. 
"Too  bad !"  and  then  he  murmured  to  himself : 

"The  sturdy  woodman  with  his  ax 

Will  strike  full  many  a  blow, 
And  as  the  chips  go  flying  fast 
He'll  lay  these  giants  low, 


THROUGH  THE  FOREST  179 

Until  the  ground  is  bare  and  void 
Of  all  this  grateful  shade " 

"And  then  the  planter  beans  can  plant 
With  plow,  and  hoe,  and  spade," 

finished  Tom.  "Beans  would  pay  better  than  trees 
any  day." 

"Beans !"  snorted  Songbird  in  disgust.  "What 
have  beans  to  do  with  poetry?"  and  he  walked 
ahead  so  that  he  might  make  up  his  verses  without 
further  interruption. 

They  soon  found  the  ground  getting  very 
rough,  and  the  tangle  through  which  Sam  and 
Dick  had  passed  made  them  do  not  a  little 
complaining. 

"Mine  cracious!  How  long  vos  dis  to  last, 
hey?"  cried  poor  Hans  as  he  found  himself  in  a 
tangle  from  which  he  could  not  escape.  "Hellup, 
somepody,  oder  I  ton't  vos  git  out  of  dis  anny- 
how !" 

"Hans  is  stuck  on  this  brushwood,"  sang  out 
Fred.  "He  loves  it  so  he  can't  bear  to  leave  it." 

"This  way,  Hansy,  my  boy,"  came  from  Tom. 
"Now  then,  a  long  pull,  a  strong  pull  and  a  pull 
'altogether!" 

With  might  and  main  he  hauled  on  the  German 
boy's  arm,  and  with  a  tearing  sound  Hans  came 
loose  and  almost  pitched  forward  on  his  face. 

"Hi!   hi!   let  go   alretty   kvick!"   he  bawled. 


i8o        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Mine  clothes  vos  most  tore  off  of  me."  He  felt 
of  his  trousers  and  the  back  of  his  jacket.  ''Too 
pad!  Da  vos  full  of  vinders  now!" 

"Never  mind,  Hansy,  you  need  the  openings 
for  ventilation,"  returned  Tom  smoothly. 

"Vendilations,  hey?  Vot  you  know  about  him, 
hey?  I  vos  look  like  a  ragpickers  alretty!"  And 
he  surveyed  the  damaged  suit  dubiously. 

"Now  is  the  time  to  have  your  picture  taken," 
suggested  Fred.  "You  can  send  it  to  your  best 
girl,  Hans." 

"I  ton't  vos  got  no  girls." 

"Then  send  it  to  your  grandma,"  suggested 
Tom  blandly.  "Maybe  she'll  take  pity  on  you 
and  send  you  a  new  suit.  That  would  suit, 
wouldn't  it?" 

"I  ton't  vos  do  noddings,  but  ven  ve  go  to 
camp  again,  I  make  you  all  sit  town  und  blay 
tailors,"  answered  the  German  boy;  and  then  the 
whole  crowd  pushed  forward  as  before. 

They  had  to  cross  a  tiny  brook,  and  then  began 
to  scramble  over  some  rather  rough  rocks.  This 
was  hard  work  for  the  horses,  and  a  consultation 
was  held  regarding  the  advisability  of  leaving 
them  behind. 

"I  would  do  it  in  a  minute,"  said  Tom.  "But  it 
may  not  suit  us  to  come  back  this  way." 

"Yes,  and  we  may  need  the  horses  to  ride  away 


THROUGH  THE  FOREST  181 

on,"  put  in  Fred.  "Supposing  those  men  on  the 
ranch  come  after  us?  We  can't  get  away  very 
well  on  foot,  and,  if  we  could,  we  wouldn't  want 
to  leave  the  horses  behind."  And  so  it  was 
decided  to  go  slowly  and  take  the  steeds  along. 

It  was  growing  dark,  and  they  were  afraid 
they  were  in  for  another  storm.  So  far,  there  had 
been  no  breeze,  but  now  the  wind  began  to  rush 
through  the  trees  with  a  mournful  sound. 

"If  it  does  come,  it  will  surely  be  a  soaker," 
announced  Tom  when  he  got  to  an  opening  where 
he  could  survey  the  sky.  "Perhaps  it  will  pay  us 
to  stay  in  the  shelter  of  the  forest." 

"Yes,  and  have  the  lightning  bring  a  tree  down 
on  us/'  added  Fred.  "None  of  that  for  me." 

They  were  still  among  the  rocks  when  it  began 
to  rain.  At  first,  the  drops  did  not  reach  them, 
but,  as  the  storm  increased,  the  water  began  to 
fall  in  all  directions  from  the  branches. 

"We  must  find  some  shelter,  unless  we  want  to 
be  soaked,"  said  Fred.  "Hullo,  just  the  thing! 
Couldn't  be  any  better  if  we  had  it  made  to 
order." 

He  pointed  to  a  spot  where  the  rocks  arose  to 
a  height  of  twenty  or  more  feet.  Low  down  was 
an  opening  leading  to  a  hollow  that  was  very  like 
a  cave. 


I8a        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"That  will  do  first-rate,"  returned  Tom.  "It  is 
large  enough  for  the  whole  crowd." 

"Too  bad  the  horses  can't  get  in,  too,"  said 
Fred.  "But  maybe  a  wetting  won't  hurt  them  in 
this  warm  weather." 

The  steeds  were  tied  close  by,  and  then  the  boys 
ran  for  the  shelter  under  the  rocks,  followed  by 
Wags.  They  had  just  reached  it  when  the  storm 
brok*  in  all  its  violence,  and  the  rain  came  down 
in  torments. 


CHAPTER   XXII 
IN  A  SNAKES'  DEN 

"JusT  jn  time,  and  no  mistake,"  remarked 
Songbird  as  he  surveyed  the  scene  outside.  "No 
use  of  talking,  when  it  rains  down  here,  it  rains !" 

"Well,  a  rainstorm  isn't  a  picnic  party,"  re 
turned  Tom.  "I  wouldn't  care  so  much  if  I  wasn't 
so  anxious  to  hear  from  Sam  and  Dick." 

"Dot  is  vot  ve  all  vonts,"  broke  in  Hans. 

They  crouched  in  the  back  of  the  shelter,  s<? 
that  the  rain  might  not  drive  down  upon  them. 
It  was  a  steady  downpour  for  half  an  hour,  when 
it  began  to  slacken  up,  and  the  sun  looked  as  if  it 
might  break  through  the  clouds  once  more. 

"We  won't  be  detained  so  long,  after  all!" 
cried  Fred. 

"I  am  just  as  well  satisfied,"  began  Tom,  and 
then  gave  a  jump.  "Boys,  look  there!  Did  you 
:ever  see  anything  like  it?" 

They  looked  in  the  direction  pointed  out,  and 
each  one  sprang  up  as  if  he  had  received  an  electric 
shock,  while  Wags  began  to  bark  furiously.  And 
small  wonder,  for  directly  in  front  of  the  shelter 

183 


184       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

was  a  collection  of  snakes  numbering  at  least 
thirty  or  forty.  They  were  black,  brown  and 
green  in  color  and  from  two  to  four  feet  in  length. 
Some  were  lying  flat,  while  others  were  curled  up 
in  various  attitudes. 

"Snakes !"  faltered  Fred.  "And  what  a  lot  of 
them!" 

"Dere  ain't  no  choke  apout  dis!"  gasped  Hans, 
his  eyes  almost  as  big  as  saucers.  "Vot  shall  ve 
do?" 

"Get  your  pistols,  boys!"  came  from  Songbird, 
and  he  drew  his  weapon. 

"Don't  shoot!"  and  Tom  caught  the  other  by 
the  arm.  "If  you  kill  one  snake,  the  others  will 
go  for  us  sure.  What  an  awful  lot  of  them! 
This  locality  must  be  a  regular  snakes'  den." 

"If  they  come  in  here,  we'll  all  be  bitten,  and 
if  they  are  poisonous — "  Fred  tried  to  go  on, 
but  could  not. 

"There  is  no  telling  if  they  are  poisonous  or 
not,"  returned  Tom.  "One  thing  is  sure,  I  don't 
want  them  to  sample  me,"  and  the  others  said 
about  the  same. 

What  to  do  was  at  first  a  question.  The  snakes 
lay  about  ten  feet  from  the  front  of  the  shelter 
and  in  a  semicircle,  so  that  the  boys  could  not  get 
out,  excepting  by  stepping  on  the  reptiles  or  leap 
ing  over  them. 


IN  A  SNAKES'  DEN  185 

"They  are  coming  closer!'*  exclaimed  Fred  a 
moment  later.  "It  looks  as  if  they  were  going  to 
t&ckle  us,  sure !" 

"I  have  a  plan/'  cried  Tom.  "Come  here, 
Hans,  and  let  me  boost  you  up." 

The  others  understood,  and  while  the  fun-lov 
ing  Rover  gave  the  German  boy  a  boost,  Songbird 
did  the  same  for  Fred. 

The  edge  of  the  cliff  of  rocks  was  rough,  and, 
when  hoisted  up,  Hans  and  Fred  were  enabled  to 
grasp  at  several  cracks  and  projections.  They 
laid  hold  vigorously  and  soon  pulled  themselves 
out  of  harm's  way. 

By  this  time,  the  snakes  had  wiggled  several 
feet  closer  to  the  shelter.  Evidently,  it  was  their 
den  and,  while  they  wished  to  get  in,  they  did  not 
know  exactly  what  to  do  about  the  intruders. 

"Can  you  get  a  hold?"  questioned  Songbird  as 
he  stood  on  a  flat  rock  and  raised  himself  into 
the  air  a  distance  of  two  feet. 

Tom  was  already  trying  to  do  so,  and  soon  he 
was  crawling  up  the  edge  of  the  cliff.  As  the 
rocks  were  slippery  from  the  rain,  it  was  by  no 
means  an  easy  or  sure  task.  But  he  advanced 
with  care,  and  soon  joined  Fred  and  Hans  at  the 
top. 

"I  am  glad  we  are  out  of  that!"  exclaimed 
Fred.  "Ugh !  how  I  do  hate  snakes !" 


186       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  think  everybody  does,"  returned  Tom.  "Hi, 
Songbird!"  he  called  out.  "Coming?" 

"I — I  guess  I  am  stuck!"  was  the  gasped-out 
answer.  "The  rocks  are  too  slippery  for  me." 

"We'll  give  you  a  hand  up,"  sang  out  the  fun- 
loving  Rover,  and  got  down  at  the  edge  of  the 
rocks. 

"Look  out  that  you  don't  slip  over,"  came  in 
a  warning  from  Fred. 

"Of  you  go  ofer,  you  land  dem  snakes  your 
head  on,"  put  in  Hans. 

The  words  had  scarcely  been  uttered,  when 
there  came  a  wild  shriek  from  Songbird.  The 
poetic  youth  had  lost  his  hold  and  slipped  to  the 
ground  below.  He  came  down  directly  on  top 
of  three  of  the  snakes,  and  with  an  angry  hissing 
they  whipped  around  him. 

"Songbird  has  fallen  on  the  snakes!" 

"Run  for  your  life!"  sang  out  Tom..  "There 
goes  Wags!" 

And  Songbird  did  run  the  moment  he  could 
regain  his  feet.  One  snake  got  tangled  up  in  the 
boy's  legs  and  was  carried  along,  whipping  one 
way  and  another.  But  it  soon  lost  its  hold  and 
then  wiggled  through  the  grass  to  rejoin  its 
fellows.  In  the  meantime,  the  dog  had 
disappeared. 


IN  A  SNAKES'  DEN  187 

"Are  you  safe?"  called  out  those  at  the  top  of 
the  cliff. 

"I — I — guess  so,"  came  in  a  panting-  answer. 
"But  two  of  them  did — did  their  be-best  to 
bite  me!" 

"Bring  the  horses  around  while  you  are  about 
it,"  said  Tom,  and  then  the  three  on  the  cliff 
walked  around  to  rejoin  Songbird.  When  they 
reached  him,  they  found  the  poetic  youth 
trembling  from  head  to  foot. 

"Never  had  such  an  experience  in  all  my  life," 
said  he.  "Why,  I  came  down  almost  headfirst  on 
those  snakes!  I  never  want  such  a  thing  to 
happen  again." 

"I've  got  no  use  for  snakes,"  said  Tom.  "I 
don't  know  what  they  are  good  for,  excepting  to 
scare  folks." 

"I  believe  they  rid  the  land  of  many  insects." 

"Say,  Songbird,  I  tole  you  vot,"  put  in  Hans, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  now  that  the  danger  was 
past.  "You  vos  make  a  nice  poem  up  apout  dem 
snakes,  hey?" 

"A  poem  on  snakes?"  shivered  Songbird. 
"Ugh !  the  idea  is  enough  to  give  one  the  creeps !" 

The  rain  had  now  ceased  completely,  and  soon 
they  were  leading  their  horses  forward  as  before. 
It  was  very  wet  in  the  brushwood  and,  as  far  as 
possible,  they  kept  to  the  open  spaces.  The  out- 


i88        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

look  was  certainly  a  dismal  one,  and  the  boys  felt 
in  anything  but  a  good  humor. 

"Our  little  trip  to  Mr.  Denton's  ranch  isn't 
panning  out  so  beautifully,  after  all,"  remarked 
Fred.  "I  thought  we  were  going  to  have  the 
nicest  kind  of  an  outing.  All  told,  I  rather  think 
I  would  prefer  to  be  back  on  the  houseboat." 

Presently  they  came  out  on  a  road  in  the  rear 
of  Red  Rock  ranch.  There  was  a  ditch  to  cross, 
and  then  a  line  of  thorns,  which  gave  all  more 
than  one  scratch. 

Suddenly  they  were  startled  by  a  shot,  fired  at 
a  distance.  Another  shot  soon  followed. 

"What  does  that  mean  ?"  cried  Fred.  "Where's 
the  dog?" 

"Perhaps  Sam  and  Dick  are  trying  to  escape," 
returned  Songbird. 

"I  hope  nobody  is  shooting  them,"  put  in  Tom. 
"I  must  say,"  he  added,  "I  don't  like  this  at  all. 
The  dog  is  gone." 

"Hadn't  we  better  place  the  horses  in  the  woods 
and  investigate?" 

"No,  we'll  take  the  horses  along,  and  if  there 
is  trouble,  we'll  use  our  pistols,"  answered  Tom 
firmly. 

They  advanced  with  caution,  and  soon  came  to 
where  the  road  made  a  turn  westward.  Tom 


IN  A  SNAKES'  DEN  189 

uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  not  with 
out  good  reason. 

"Man — on  the  road — flat  on  his  face !" 

"Is  he  a  spy?" 

"Is  he  dead?" 

"I  don't  know/*  answered  Tom.  "Go  slow—; 
we  may  be  running  into  a  trap." 

They  advanced  with  caution.  Not  another  soul 
seemed  to  be  in  sight,  and  presently  they  stood 
over  the  man.  He  was  breathing  heavily. 

"Looks  like  a  planter,"  observed  Fred,  noticing 
the  apparel  the  stranger  wore.  "What's  the 
matter  with  him?" 

"Perhaps  he  was  shot.    Let  us  turn  him  over." 

This  they  proceeded  to  do,  and  then,  without 
warning,  the  man  sat  up  and  rubbed  his  eyes.  His 
wig  and  beard  fell  off,  and  to  Tom's  astonishment 
there  was  revealed  James  Monday,  the  govern 
ment  detective. 

"Mr.  Monday!"  cried  the  boy.  "How  in  the 
world  did  you  get  here?" 

"Wha — who  are  you?"  stammered  the  man. 
"Wha— what  hit  me?" 

"I  don't  know  what  hit  you.  I  am  Tom  Rover. 
Don't  you  remember  me?" 

The  government  official  looked  perplexed  for 
a  moment,  and  then  his  face  brightened. 

"To  be  sure  I  remember  you,  Rover,"  he  stam- 


190       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

mered.  "But  I  am  all  in  a  twist."  He  brushed 
his  hand  over  his  face.  "I  thought  I  was  down 
and  out,  as  the  saying  goes." 

"Did  you  fire  those  shots  ?" 

"I  fired  one  shot.  The  other  was  fired  by  a 
man  who  ran  away.  I  believe  the  villain  wanted 
to  take  my  life.  The  bullet  struck  a  rock  and  then 
struck  and  stunned  me,  and  I  keeled  over." 

"And  the  man  ran  away?" 

"I  suppose  so.    You  didn't  see  him,  did  you?" 

"No." 

"Where  are  you  bound?"  went  on  the  govern 
ment  official  curiously. 

"We  are  looking  for  my  two  brothers,  Sam  and 
Dick.  They  went  over  to  the  ranch  yonder,  and 
we  have  heard  that  they  are  being  held  prisoners." 


CHAPTER    XXIII 

JAMES    MONDAY   TAKES    A    HAND 

AFTER  that,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  tell 
their  story  in  detail,  to  which  the  government 
official  listened  with  close  attention.  Then  he 
asked  them  many  questions. 

"You  are  certainly  in  hard  luck,"  said  he  when 
they  had  finished.  *  'Beyond  the  slightest  doubt, 
those  men  at  the  ranch  are  desperate  characters, 
and  I  don't  know  but  what  I  ought  to  summon 
help  and  arrest  them  on  the  spot." 

"Den  vy  not  do  dot?"  asked  Hans.  "Ve  vill 
hellup,  too." 

"If  those  men  are  what  I  take  them  to  be,  I 
want  to  catch  them  red-handed,"  responded  James 
Monday. 

"What  do  you  take  them  to  be?"  asked  Tom. 

"Can  I  trust  you  boys  to  keep  a  secret?" 

"Yes,"  came  from  each  of  the  crowd. 

"Then  I'll  tell  you.  Unless  I  am  very  much 
mistaken,  the  men  at  Red  Rock  ranch  are 
counterfeiters." 

"Counterfeiters!"  came  in  a  chorus. 
191 


192        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"So  I  believe.  I  may  be  mistaken,  but  all  the 
evidence  I  have  points  in  that  direction.  I  have 
been  following-  this  trail  from  Philadelphia,  where 
I  caught  a  fellow  passing  bad  twenty-dollar  bills. 
He  confessed  that  he  got  the  bills  from  a  fellow 
in  Washington  who  claimed  to  be  printing  them 
from  some  old  government  plates.  That  story 
was,  of  course,  nonsense,  since  no  government 
plates  of  such  a  bill  are  missing.  I  followed  the 
trail  to  Washington,  and  there  met  a  crook  named 
Sacord.  He,  so  I  discovered,  got  his  money  from 
two  men,  one  the  owner  of  this  ranch.  Where 
the  bad  bills  were  manufactured  was  a  mystery, 
but,  by  nosing  around,  I  soon  learned  that  the 
owner  of  the  ranch  never  allowed  strangers  near 
his  place,  and  that  he  sometimes  had  strange 
pieces  of  machinery  shipped  there.  Then  I  put 
two  and  two  together  and  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  bad  bills  were  printed  here.  Now,  I  want 
to  prove  it,  and  not  only  round  up  the  gang,  but 
also  get  possession  of  the  bogus  printing  plates. 
If  the  government  don't  get  the  plates,  somebody 
may  keep  on  manufacturing  the  bad  bills." 

"In  that  case,  it  is  just  as  important  to  get  the 
plates  as  the  criminals,"  put  in  Songbird. 

"Well,  this  stumps  me,"  declared  Tom.  "No 
wonder  they  kept  chasing  us  off." 


JAMES  MONDAY  TAKES  A  HAND         193 

"And  no  wonder  Sam  and  Dick  were  made 
prisoners/'  added  Fred. 

"I  hope  the  rascals  don't  do  them  harm,"  said 
Tom.  "If  I  thought  that,  I'd  be  for  moving  on 
the  ranch  without  delay." 

"I  think  your  brothers  will  be  safe  enough  for 
the  time  being,"  came  from  James  Monday.  "I 
am  sorry  that  you  let  that  dolt  get  away  from 
you." 

"If  we  had  thought  it  of  such  importance,  we 
should  certainly  have  kept  him  a  prisoner,"  replied 
Songbird. 

"I  was  watching  my  chance  to  get  into  the 
ranch  house  unobserved,"  continued  the  govern 
ment  official.  "That  shot  rather  floored  me.  But 
I  am  going  to  get  in,  some  way,"  he  added  with 
determination. 

"Listen,  I  think  I  hear  somebody  coming!" 
cried  Songbird. 

"Let  us  get  to  the  side  of  the  road,"  said  James 
Monday. 

They  did  as  advised,  the  boys  mounting  their 
horses  and  the  government  official  donning  his 
wig  and  false  beard  and  taking  Sam's  steed.  Soon 
they  were  stationed  behind  a  pile  of  rocks. 

"It's  a  wagon  that  is  coming!"  said  Tom  a 
minute  later.  "I  can  hear  the  wheels  scraping  on 
the  rocks." 


194        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I  think  I'll  investigate  on  foot/'  said  James 
Monday,  and  slipped  to  the  ground  once  more. 
Soon  the  wagon  came  in  sight.  It  was  pulled  by 
a  team  of  strong  looking  horses  and  was  piled 
high  with  boxes.  On  the  seat  sat  an  old  man. 

"Hullo,  there!"  called  out  the  government 
official,  stepping  along  the  trail  in  the  direction  of 
the  turnout. 

The  old  man  was  evidently  startled,  and  he 
pulled  up  with  a  jerk,  As  he  did  so,  the  boys  rode 
a  little  closer. 

"Hullo,  stranger!    What  do  you  want?" 

"I  want  to  talk  to  you,"  responded  James 
Monday. 

"What  about?"  and  the  old  man  began  to  grow 
uncomfortable. 

"Where  are  you  bound?" 

"What  do  ye  want  to  know  fer?" 

"I  am  curious,  that's  all,  friend.  Are  you 
afraid  to  answer  me?" 

"No,  I  ain't.    I'm  bound  fer  Red  Rock  ranch." 

"What  have  you  on  the  wagon  ?" 

"All  sorts  o'  supplies  that  came  in  on  the 
railroad." 

"What's  your  name?" 

"Bill  Cashaw.  It  seems  to  me  you're  a  curious 
one,  you  are." 

"Do  you  belong  in  town,  or  out  here?" 


'  I   WANT   TO   TALK  TO   YOU. 
from  Rover  Boys  on  the  Plains. 


JAMES  MONDAY  TAKES  A  HAND         195 

"In  town,  o'  course.  Hain't  I  lived  there  nigh 
sixty-four  years?" 

"Do  you  work  steadily  for  Sack  Todd?" 

"No.  I  do  a  leetle  drivin'  now  an'  then,  that's 
all.  But,  see  here " 

"Do  you  know  all  the  others  at  the  ranch?" 

"Most  on  'em.  I  don't  know  the  new  fellers 
much." 

"Did  you  intend  to  stay  at  the  ranch?" 

"You  mean  to-night?" 

"Yes." 

"Not  unless  Sack  asked  me  to  stay.  He's  queer 
about  that,  you  know."  The  old  man  glanced  at 
the  boys.  "Quite  a  party  o'  ye,  hain't  there?" 

"You  state  positively  that  you  do  not  belong  to 
the  crowd  at  the  ranch  ?"  resumed  the  government 
official. 

"I  said  so.    But,  see  here,  stranger " 

"Please  get  down  off  that  wagon,"  went  on 
James  Monday  quietly. 

"Eh?" 

"I  said  get  down  off  that  wagon." 

"What  fer?" 

"Because  I  want  you  to." 

"Say,  are  this  a  hold-up?"  cried  the  old  man  in 
renewed  alarm.  "If  it  are,  I  hain't  a-goin'  to 
stand  fer  it,  an'  let  me  say  that  Sack  Todd  will 
be  after  you-uns  bald-headed  fer  it !" 


196   THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"This  is  not  exactly  a  hold-up,"  said  the  detec 
tive  with  a  faint  smile.  "Get  down  and  I  will  ex 
plain.  If  you  try  to  resist,  you'll  only  get  into 
trouble." 

"Suppose  I'll  have  to  obey,"  groaned  the  old 
man  as  he  climbed  down  from  the  seat.  "You-uns 
are  five  to  one  on  this.  I'm  like  the  coon  an'  Davy 
Crockett — I  know  when  ter  come  down  out  o'  the 
tree.  But  I  don't  understand  your  game, 
stranger." 

"As  I  said  before,  I  don't  intend  to  hurt  you, 
Mr.  Cashaw.  But  I  am  after  certain  information, 
and  I  rather  think  you  can  aid  me  in  getting  it." 

"What  you  want  to  know?" 

"In  the  first  place,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  all  you 
know  about  Sack  Todd.  What  does  he  do  at  his 
ranch?" 

"Humph!  Don't  ask  me,  fer  I  don't  know. 
An'  if  I  did " 

"And  if  you  did " 

"Sack's  been  a  putty  good  friend  ter  me, 
stranger.  Lent  me  a  hundred  dollars  onct,  when 
a  fire  had  cleaned  me  out.  A  feller  don't  feel 
much  about  hurtin'  his  friend." 

"That  is  so,  too.  Then  you  really  don't  know 
what  is  going  on  at  the  ranch  ?  Come  now,  speak 
the  truth,"  and  Jaiiies  Monday's  voice  grew  stern. 

"Well,  it's  some  sort  o'  patent,  I  guess.    Sack 


JAMES  MONDAY  TAKES  A  HAND          197 

don't  want  folks  to  git  onto  it.  Reckon  it's  a 
new-fangled  printing  press — one  to  run  by  eleo 
tristity — or  sumthin'  like  that." 

"He  told  you  that,  did  he?" 

"Yes.  But  I  hain't  goin'  to  answer  no  more 
questions,"  went  on  the  old  man,  and  started  to 
mount  the  wagon  seat  again. 

"Wait,"  said  James  Monday.  "I  am  sorry, 
but  you'll  have  to  stay  here  for  the  present,  Mr. 
Cashaw." 

"You  mean  you  are  goin'  to  make  me  stay 
here?" 

"For  a  while,  yes." 

"With  the  wagon?" 

"No,  I'll  drive  your  wagon  to  the  ranch." 

"I  ain't  askin'  you  to  do  the  job." 

"I'll  do  it  for  nothing,"  answered  the  govern 
ment  official  with  a  quiet  smile. 

"See  here,  I  don't  understand  this,  at  all,"  cried 
Bill  Cashaw.  "What  is  yer  game,  anyhow?" 

"If  you  want  me  to  be  plain,  I'll  tell  you.  I  sus 
pect  the  men  at  the  ranch  of  a  serious  crime.  For 
all  I  know,  you  are  one  of  the  gang  and  as  bad  as 
the  rest.  If  so,  you're  face  to  face  with  a  long 
term  in  prison." 

"Crime?    Prison?    I  ain't  done  a  thing!" 

"If  you  are  innocent,  you  have  nothing  to  fear, 


198       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and  you  will  do  what  you  can  to  aid  me  in 
running  down  the  guilty  parties." 

At  this,  the  face  of  the  old  man  became  a  study. 
He  started  to  talk,  stammered  and  became  silent. 

'Tell  me!"  he  burst  out  suddenly.  "Are  you 
an  officer?" 

"I  am — working  under  the  United  States 
Government." 

"Oh!"  The  old  man  turned  pale.  "Then  let 
me  say,  as  I  said  afore,  I  ain't  done  nuthin'  wrong, 
an'  I  don't  want  to  go  to  prison.  If  them  fellers 
at  the  ranch  are  criminals,  I  don't  want  ter  work 
fer  'em  no  more,  an'  I'll  help  you  to  bring  'em  to 
justice." 


CHAPTER    XXIV 

TOM    CARRIES   A   LETTER 

AFTER  that  it  was  a  comparatively  easy  matter 
to  get  the  old  man  to  talk,  and  he  told  James 
Monday  and  the  boys  practically  all  he  knew 
about  Sack  Todd  and  his  followers. 

He  said  it  was  commonly  supposed  that  Sack 
Todd  had  some  invention  that  he  was  jealously 
guarding.  Some  folks  thought  the  man  was  a  bit 
crazy  on  the  subject  of  his  discoveries,  and  so  did 
not  question  him  much  concerning  them.  The 
machinery  and  other  material  which  arrived  from 
time  to  time  were  all  supposed  to  be  parts  of  the 
wonderful  machine  Sack  Todd  was  having  made 
at  various  places. 

While  he  was  talking,  the  old  man  looked  at 
Tom  many  times  in  curiosity. 

"Might  I  ask  your  name?"  he  said  at  length. 

"What  do  you  want  to  know  that  for?"  re 
turned  Tom. 

"Because  you  look  so  wonderfully  like  my  son 
Bud — an'  you  talk  like  him,  too.  But  Bud's  skin 
is  a  bit  darker  nor  yours." 

199 


200        THE  ROVER  BOYS  0V  THE  PLAINS 

"My  name  is  Tom  Rover." 

"Talking  about  looking  alike,"  broke  in  Fred. 
"There's  a  strong  resemblance,"  and  he  pointed 
to  the  detective  and  the  old  man.  "Of  course, 
you  don't  look  quite  so  old,"  he  added  to  James 
Monday. 

"I  am  glad  that  you  think  we  look  alike," 
smiled  back  the  government  official.  "I  was  bank 
ing  on  that." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  came  from  Songbird. 

"I  will  show  you  in  a  minute.  Mr.  Cashaw,  I'll 
trouble  you  to  exchange  hats,  coats  and  collars 
with  me,"  the  detective  continued,  turning  to  the 
old  man. 

The  latter  did  not  understand,  but  gave  up 
his  wearing  apparel  a  moment  later,  and  soon 
James  Monday  was  wearing  them.  Then  the 
detective  rubbed  a  little  dirt  on  his  hands  and  face 
and,  with  a  black  pencil  he  carried,  gave  himself 
a  few  marks  around  the  mouth  and  eyes. 

"How  do  you  do,  boys?"  he  called  out,  in  exact 
imitation  of  Bill  Cashaw. 

"Wonderful !"  ejaculated  Tom.  "That  will  do 
splendidly. 

"Mine  cracious!  I  ton't  vos  know  vich  been 
you  an'  vich  been  der  old  man !"  burst  out  Hans. 
"You  vos  like  two  pretzels  alretty !" 


TOM  CARRIES  A  LETTER  201 

"That's  a  fine  comparison,"  laughed  Fred,  and 
all  had  to  smile  over  the  German  youth's  words. 

"I  reckon  I  know  what  you  intend  to  do,"  said 
Tom  to  the  government  official.  "You  want  to 
take  the  old  man's  job  away  from  him." 

"Yes — for  the  time  being.  But  I  don't  expect 
to  get  paid  for  it."  James  Monday  turned  to 
Cashaw.  "Will  you  stay  with  the  boys  until  I 
return  ?" 

"Well,  now " 

"I  want  you  to  stay." 

"That  means  as  how  I'm  to  stay  whether  I  want 
to  or  not,  eh  ?" 

"You  can  put  it  that  way  if  you  wish.  I  want 
to  make  no  trouble  for  you." 

"Sack  Todd  will  make  trouble  if  he  hears  of 
this,"  returned  the  old  man  dubiously. 

"Then  you  had  better  keep  out  of  sight." 

"Will  you  return  my  horses  and  wagon  ?" 

"Either  that,  or  pay  for  the  turnout." 

"Then  maybe  I'd  better  go  to  town.  I  can  say 
I  stopped  off  at  a  tavern  an'  sumbuddy  drove  off 
with  my  rig." 

"Very  well,"  returned  the  detective.  "But, 
mind  you,  if  you  dare  to  play  me  foul " 

"I  won't!    I  won't!" 

"Then  you  can  go.  But  wait.  Boys,  let  him 
stay  here  an  hour.  Then  he  can  g-o  " 


202        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  a  few  minutes  later 
James  Monday  was  on  the  seat  of  the  wagon  and 
driving  off  in  the  style  of  the  old  man. 

"He  is  certainly  a  good  actor,"  murmured 
Tom,  gazing  after  the  government  official.  "I 
declare,  the  two  look  like  two  peas !" 

'That's  a  mighty  risky  thing  to  do,"  observed 
Songbird.  "If  Sack  Todd  and  his  cronies  dis 
cover  the  trick  they'll  stop  at  nothing  to  get 
square." 

"Trust  Mr.  Monday  to  take  care  of  himself," 
responded  Tom.  "I  am  only  hoping  he  will  be 
able  to  aid  Sam  and  Dick." 

"Oh,  we  all  hope  that,  Tom." 

The  boys  sat  down  on  some  partly  dried  rocks 
and  began  to  ask  the  old  man  about  himself. 
But  Bill  Cashaw  was  too  much  disturbed  men 
tally  to  give  them  much  satisfaction. 

"Well,  by  hemlock !"  he  burst  out  presently. 

"What's  up  now?"  queried  Tom,  and  all  of  the 
others  looked  equally  interested. 

"If  I  didn't  go  an'  forgit  all  about  it." 

"Forget  what?" 

"This  letter  I  had  fer  Sack.  An'  that  was  o' 
prime  importance,  too,  so  the  trainman  said." 

As  the  old  man  spoke,  he  brought  forth  a  letter 
which  he  had  had  stowed  away  in  a  pocket  of  his 
shirt. 


TOM  CARRIES  A  LETTER  203. 

4 What's  in  the  letter?"  asked  Fred. 

"I  don't  know.    It's  sealed  up." 

"I  think  we'd  be  justified  in  breaking  it  open/* 
put  in  Songbird.  'Those  rascals  are  outlaws !" 

"No !  no !  don't  break  it  open !"  burst  out  Tom, 
and  snatched  the  communication  from  the  old 
man's  hand.  "I've  got  a  better  plan." 

"What  plan?"  came  from  his  friends. 

"Didn't  you  say  that  I  looked  like  your  son 
Bud?"  asked  Tom  of  Bill  Cashaw. 

"I  did." 

"Has  Bud  ever  been  to  Red  Rock  ranch?" 

"Three  or  four  times,  but  not  lately." 

"Does  Sack  Todd  know  him?" 

"Yes,  but  not  very  well." 

"Then  that  settles  it,"  announced  the  fun-loving 
Rover.  "I,  as  Bud  Cashaw,  am  going  to  deliver 
the  letter  at  the  ranch." 

"Tom,  that's  too  risky !"  cried  Fred. 

"I  don't  think  so.  I  can  tell  them  that  the  letter 
was  left  for  father" — pointing  to  Bill  Cashaw— 
"after  he  started  for  the  ranch.  I  don't  see  how 
they  can  help  but  swallow  the  story." 

"Yes,  but  see  here — "  interrupted  the  old  man. 
"This  ain't  fair.  I  want  you  to  understand " 

"I  know  what  I  am  doing,  Mr.  Cashaw,  and 
you  had  better  keep  quiet.  Watch  him,  fellows." 

Without  loss  of  time,  Tom  made  his  prepara- 


204        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

tions  for  visiting  the  mysterious  ranch.  He 
rubbed  some  dirt  on  his  face  and  hands,  disheveled 
his  hair  and  turned  up  one  leg  of  his  trousers. 
Then  he  borrowed  the  rather  large  headgear  that 
Hans  wore  and  pulled  it  far  down  over  his  head. 

"How  will  that  do?"  he  drawled.  "Say,  is 
my  pap  anywhere  around  this  yere  ranch?" 

"Mine  cracious!  of  dot  ton't  beat  der  Irish!*" 
gasped  Hans.  "Tom,  you  vos  make  a  first-class 
detector  alretty!" 

"He  certainly  looks  like  an  Alabama  country 
boy,"  was  Fred's  comment. 

A  few  touches  more  to  his  disguise  and  Tom 
was  ready  to  depart  for  the  ranch.  He  called 
Songbird  aside. 

"Watch  that  old  man,"  he  whispered.  "He 
may  not  be  as  innocent  as  he  looks.  Don't  let  him 
get  to  the  ranch.  If  he  does,  our  cake  will  be 
dough." 

"Of  course  you  don't  expect  to  catch  up  to  the 
wagon,"  said  Songbird. 

"No,  but  if  I  do,  I'll  go  ahead  anyway — if  Mr. 
Monday  will  let  me." 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  Tom  left  the 
others.  He  struck  out  boldly  along  the  poorly 
defined  wagon  trail,  which  led  over  some  rough 
rocks  and  down  into  hollows  now  filled  with 
water.  The  marks  of  the  wagon  ahead  were 


TOM  CARRIES  A  LETTER  205 

plainly  to  be  seen,  but,  though  the  youth  walked 
fast,  he  did  not  catch  sight  of  the  turnout. 

It  was  dark  by  the  time  he  came  to  the  fence 
that  surrounded  the  ranch  buildings.  He  saw 
Bill  Cashaw's  wagon  standing  under  a  shed.  Two 
men  were  unloading  the  contents.  They  were 
both  strangers  to  Tom. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Tom's  heart  beat 
rapidly  as  he  stepped  into  view  and  slouched 
toward  the  wagon  shed.  The  men  started  in 
surprise  when  they  beheld  him. 

"Say,  whar's  my  pap?"  he  called  out.  "Didn't 
he  come  in  on  the  wagon  ?" 

"It's  Bud  Cashaw,"  murmured  one  of  the  men. 
He  raised  his  voice.  "Your  old  man  is  in  the 
house  with  Sack  Todd." 

Tom  turned  toward  the  ranch  proper  and  was 
close  to  a  door  when  it  opened  and  Sack  Todd 
came  out  and  faced  him.  At  a  distance  behind 
the  man  was  James  Monday. 

"Hullo,  pap!"  sang  out  Tom.  "You  forgot 
that  letter  from  that  train  hand — or  maybe  you 
didn't  see  him." 

The  government  official  stared  at  Tom,  won 
dering  who  he  could  be. 

"What  letter?"  demanded  the  ranch  owner 
quickly. 

"Here  it  is,"  answered  Tom,  and  brought  it 


ao6        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

forth.  Sack  Todd  ripped  it  open  quickly  and 
scanned  its  contents.  It  was  short  and  to  the 
point : 

"Look  out  for  government  detectives.  They 
are  on  your  track.  One  is  named  James  Monday. 
There  is  also  a  fellow  named  Rover — beware  of 
him.  NUMBER  9." 

Utterly  unconscious  of  what  he  was  doing,  Tom 
had  played  directly  into  the  hands  of  Sack  Todd 
and  his  evil  associates. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

IN    WHICH    TOM    IS   EXPOSED 

"BOY,  who  gave  you  this  letter?"  demanded 
the  owner  of  Red  Rock  ranch,  after  he  had  read 
the  communication  through  twice. 

His  look  was  a  stern  one,  and  his  gaze  seemed 
to  bore  Tom  through  and  through.  Yet  the  lad 
did  not  flinch.  He  felt  that  he  must  play  his  part 
to  the  end. 

"Feller  give  it  at  the  house  fer  pap,"  he 
drawled.  "Pap,  he  fergot  to  bring  it.  So  I 
hustled  off  to  do  it." 

"Humph!  A  nice  way  to  treat  a  letter  of 
importance,"  muttered  Sack  Todd.  He  gave  Tom 
another  close  look.  "Who  told  you  your  dad  was 
coming  here?" 

"Oh,  I  guessed  that,"  drawled  Tom. 

"Come  in  the  house.  I  must  question  your 
father  about  this." 

"I  didn't  mean  no  harm,  Mr.  Todd!"  cried 
the  youth  in  pretended  alarm.  "Ain't  it  all 
right?" 

"Yes.    Come  in." 

207 


to8        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Sack  Todd  pushed  Tom  toward  the  doorway 
of  the  ranch,  and  the  youth  went  inside.  He 
looked  around  for  the  government  official,  but 
that  individual  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

"Where  is  Bill  Cashaw?"  asked  the  ranch 
owner  of  two  men  who  were  present. 

"I  don't  know — getting  something  to  drink,  I 
reckon,"  answered  one  of  the  men.  "He  was 
standing  around  a  minute  ago." 

"Sit  down  here,"  said  Sack  Todd,  turning  to 
Tom  and  at  the  same  time  motioning  to  a  chair. 
"I'll  be  back  in  a  minute." 

He  disappeared  through  a  doorway  and  the 
fun-loving  Rover  sat  down.  He  was  in  no  easy 
frame  of  mind,  for  he  could  plainly  see  that  the 
letter  had  disturbed  the  ranch  owner  greatly  and 
that  the  man  was  suspicious. 

"I  hope  I  haven't  made  a  mess  of  it,"  he  rea 
soned.  "I  wonder  where  Sam  and  Dick  are?" 

Had  he  had  an  opportunity,  he  would  have  left 
the  room  and  taken  a  look  around  the  place,  but 
the  strange  men  were  there,  and  they  evidently 
had  their  eyes  on  him. 

Tom  had  been  sitting  quietly  for  five  minutes, 
thinking  matters  over,  when  a  side  door  opened 
and  a  young  man  smoking  a  cigarette  came  in. 
On  seeing  Tom,  he  stared  in  wonder  and  allowed 
his  cigarette  to  drop  to  the  floor. 


IN  WHICH  TOM  IS  EXPOSED  209 

"Tom  Rover!    How  did  you  get  here?" 
It  was  Dan  Baxter,  as  impudent  and  hard-faced 
as  ever.    He  came  a  step  closer  and  fairly  glared 
at  Tom. 

For  one  brief  instant,  Tom's  self-possession 
deserted  him.  Then  he  recovered  and  stared 
boldly  at  Baxter. 

"Say,  what  you  a-talkin'  about?"  he  drawled. 
"Eh?" 

"What  you  a-talkin'  about?  I  don't  know  you 
• — never  see  you  before." 

"Well,  if  that  ain't  the  limit!"  burst  out  the 
bully.  "You  don't  know  me!" 

"An'  my  name  ain't  Tim  Drover,"  went  on 
Tom,  purposely  mispronouncing  the  name. 

"Go  to  grass,  Tom  Rover !  You  can't  play  any 
game  on  me.  I  know  you  too  well,  even  in  that 
outfit." 

At  that  moment  Sack  Todd  returned.    He  was 
surprised  to  find  Dan  Baxter  talking  to  Tom. 
"Do  you  know  Bud  Cashaw?"  he  questioned. 
"Bud  Cashaw  ?    Who  is  he  ?" 
"This  is  Bud." 

"Not  much !  Do  you  know  who  this  is?  Tom 
Rover,  the  brother  I  was  telling  you  about." 

"Tom  Rover!"  almost  shouted  the  owner  of 
Red  Rock  ranch.  "Are  you  certain  of  this  ?" 


aio       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Yes.  Didn't  I  go  to  school  with  him?  I 
know  him  as  well  as  I  know  my  own  father." 

Sack  Todd  glared  at  Tom  and  gave  him  a  close 
inspection.  Then  he  shook  the  youth  fiercely. 

"So  this  is  your  style,  eh?"  he  snarled.  "First 
your  brothers  come  to  spy  on  us,  and  now  you! 
If  I  had  my  way—  "  he  stopped  short.  "Where 
did  you  get  that  letter,  answer  me!" 

"Wasn't  it  all  right?"  drawled  Tom.  He 
scarcely  knew  how  to  act. 

"Answer  me,  Rover.  I  want  no  more  beating 
about  the  bush." 

"It  belongs  to  Bill  Cashaw.    Isn't  he  here?" 

"Ha!"  Sack  Todd  looked  around.  "Come 
here,"  he  cried  to  his  men.  "Watch  this  boy  and 
don't  let  him  get  away  under  any  circumstances. 
I  must  find  Bill  Cashaw!  Perhaps  it  isn't  Bill, 
after  all!" 

One  of  the  men  came  forward  and  caught  hold 
of  Tom,  while  Dan  Baxter  also  ranged  by  the 
prisoner's  side.  To  attempt  to  break  away  would 
have  been  useless,  and  Tom  did  not  try  it. 

"You'll  catch  it  now,"  said  the  bully  maliciously. 

"Where  are  Sam  and  Dick?" 

"That  remains  for  you  to  find  out." 

"They  seem  to  carry  things  with  a  high  hand 
here."  ' 

"It's  Sack  Todd's  ranch,  and  he  has  a  right  to 


IN  WHICH  TOM  IS  EXPOSED  21 1 

do  as  he  pleases.  He  didn't  invite  you  or  the 
others  to  come,"  returned  Dan  Baxter  with  a 
scowl. 

In  the  meantime,  the  owner  of  Red  Rock  ranch 
was  hurrying  around  in  search  of  the  supposed 
Bill  Cashaw.  He  visited  the  kitchen  and  the 
other  rooms,  and  then  ran  to  the  barn  and  other 
outbuildings.  But  it  was  all  useless;  tne  driver 
of  the  wagon  could  not  be  found. 

"I  want  all  of  you  to  hunt  for  the  wagon 
driver,"  stormed  the  ranch  owner.  "He  must  be 
found !" 

"What's  wrong  now  ?"  asked  Andy  Jimson. 

"Everything.  I've  just  got  a  warning. 
Read  it." 

The  long-nosed  man  did  so,  and  drew  down  the 
corners  of  his  mouth. 

"This  looks  bad,"  he  said.  "Well,  you've  got 
the  three  Rovers  right  enough.  You  think " 

"That  wagon  driver  may  not  be  Bill  Cashaw  at 
all." 

"Worse  and  worse,  Sack.  We  must  find  him, 
by  all  means." 

The  search  was  taken  up  with  renewed  care, 
and  four  men  kept  at  it  for  over  an  hour.  Then 
the  crowd  assembled  in  the  main  room  of  the 
ranch. 


212        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"He  has  run  away  and  left  the  horses  and 
wagon  behind,"  said  Sack  Todd. 

"I  thought  he  acted  rather  queer,"  put  in  one 
of  the  men.  "I  asked  him  about  Cal  Jessup,  and 
he  didn't  seem  to  want  to  answer." 

"He  was  a  spy — there  is  not  the  least  doubt 
of  it,"  came  from  Andy  Jimson.  "More  than 
likely,  he  was  a  government  detective." 

While  the  men  were  talking  the  matter  over, 
there  was  the  sound  of  houf  strokes  on  the  road 
leading  to  the  ranch  door,  and  a  horseman  came 
up,  nearly  out  of  breath  from  hard  riding. 

"What's  the  news,  Phil  ?"  shouted  Sack  Todd. 
"Nothing  wrong,  I  hope." 

"Snapper  has  been  arrested  and  a  detective  is 
on  your  trail,"  shouted  back  the  horseman.  "I 
was  afraid  I'd  be  too  late.  You  want  to  get  ready 
to  vamoose." 

The  men  of  the  ranch  crowded  around  the  new 
comer  and  plied  him  with  questions.  Tom  tried 
to  catch  all  that  was  said,  but  was  unable  to  do  so. 

"We'll  have  to  make  short  work  of  this,  I  am 
afraid,"  he  heard  Sack  Todd  say,  a  little  later. 

"What  about  the  boy?"  questioned  the  long- 
nosed  man. 

"He  ought  to  be  shot!"  was  the  cold-blooded 
reply,  which  made  Tom  shiver. 

"Shall  we  put  him  with  the  rest?" 


IN  WHICH  TOM  IS  EXPOSED  213 

"Yes." 

Without  ceremony,  poor  Tom  was  marched 
away  to  the  trap-door,  a  man  on  each  side  of  him. 
Dan  Baxter  came  behind. 

"You  don't  like  it,  do  you?"  sneered  the  bully. 
"You'll  like  it  still  less  when  you  get  below.  It's 
beautifully  damp  and  musty." 

"You're  a  cheerful  brute,  Dan,"  answered  Tom. 

"Hi!  don't  you  call  me  a  brute!"  stormed 
Baxter. 

"Oh,  excuse  me,  I  didn't  mean  to  insult  the 
dumb  creation,"  responded  Tom.  "Baxter,  you 
are  the  limit.  I  suppose  you  have  joined  this 
gang." 

"What  if  I  have?" 

"I  am  sorry  for  you,  that's  all." 

"Oh,  don't  preach!" 

"I  am  not  going  to,  for  it  would  be  a  waste  of 
breath." 

"You'll  sing  pretty  small  by  the  time  we  are 
through  with  you,"  growled  the  bully;  and  then 
Tom  was  led  below  and  placed  in  the  cell  with 
the  others. 


CHAPTER    XXVI 

TOGETHER   ONCE    MORE 
"TOM  !" 

"Dick  and  Sam!" 

"How  in  the  world  did  you  get  here?" 

"Where  are  the  others?" 

These  and  a  dozen  other  questions  were  asked 
and  answered  as  the  three  Rover  boys  shook  hands 
over  and  over  again.  Even  though  prisoners, 
they  were  delighted  to  be  together  once  more,  and 
doubly  delighted  to  know  that  each  was  well. 

"Oh,  these  chaps  are  first-class  rascals,"  said 
Dick  after  they  had  settled  down  a  bit.  "They 
have  treated  us  most  shamefully.  At  first,  they 
gave  us  pretty  good  eating,  but  now  they  are 
starving  us." 

"Starving  you?"  cried  Tom. 

"Yes — they  want  us  to  tell  all  we  know,"  put 
in  Sam.  "They  are  very  suspicious." 

"Didn't  you  try  to  get  away?" 

"No  use  of  trying.  The  walls  are  too  solid  and 
so  is  the  door,"  said  Dick.  He  caught  Tom  by 
the  arm  and  added  in  a  faint  whisper  in  his 

214 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE 

brother's  ear:  "They  are  listening.  We  have  a 
hole." 

"Then  we'll  have  to  stay  here,"  said  Tom 
loudly,  catching  his  cue  instantly. 

"Yes,  and  it's  a  shame,"  added  Sam  in  an 
equally  loud  voice.  "I  suppose  the  others  have 
gone  on?" 

"Certainly,"  said  Tom  calmly.  "I  was  a  chump 
to  remain  behind — only  I  wanted  to  find  you.  I 
got  hold  of  a  letter  by  accident." 

A  moment  later,  they  heard  the  guards  walk 
away,  and  then  Tom  told  the  truth  about  the 
letter,  and  Sam  and  Dick  led  him  to  the  hole  in 
the  wall. 

"It  is  not  quite  big  enough  to  use,  yet,"  whis 
pered  the  eldest  Rover.  "But  we  hope  to  have 
it  big  enough  by  to-morrow.  It's  slow  work, 
when  you  have  got  to  be  on  your  guard  all  the 
while." 

"I'd  like  to  know  what  became  of  the  detective," 
returned  Tom. 

"He  must  have  run  away  as  soon  as  he  saw  how 
affairs  were  shaping,"  put  in  Dick.  "I  hope  he 
rounds  up  the  whole  gang." 

"So  do  I,  and  Dan  Baxter  with  them,"  an 
swered  Tom. 

Overhead,  they  could  hear  a  constant  tramping 
of  feet  and  murmur  of  voices.  They  tried 


216        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

to  make  out  what  was  being  said,  but  could 
not. 

Left  to  themselves,  the  three  Rovers  turned  to 
the  opening,  that  had  been  made  in  the  wall.  A 
match  was  lit  for  a  moment,  so  that  Tom  could 
see  just  what  had  been  done,  and  then  all  three  set 
to  work  to  continue  the  task.  It  was  certainly 
hard  work,  and  their  progress  was  exasperatingly 
slow. 

"If  we  only  had  a  pick  or  a  crowbar  we  could 
get  these  stones  out  in  no  time,"  grunted  Tom,  as 
he  pulled  away  with  all  his  strength. 

The  noise  overhead  continued,  and  a  little  later 
they  heard  some  men  come  down  in  another  por 
tion  of  the  cellar. 

"We  must  save  the  plates,  at  all  events,"  they 
heard  Sack  Todd  say.  "We  can't  duplicate  them, 
now  old  Messmer  is  dead." 

"Yes,  save  the  plates,  by  all  means,"  put  in 
Andy  Jimson. 

"Do  you  think  the  ranch  is  surrounded?"  asked 
another  of  the  crowd. 

"It  may  be." 

"Then  the  sooner  we  get  out,  the  better," 
growled  another. 

The  men  passed  on,  so  that  the  Rover  boys 
could  not  hear  more  of  the  talk. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  217 

"I  believe  they  are  going  to  leave  the  place," 
whispered  Sam  excitedly. 

"If  they  go,  what  will  they  do  with  us?"  put 
in  Tom. 

"Perhaps  they  will  force  us  to  go  with  them," 
answered  Dick. 

There  was  now  more  bustle  and  confusion 
about  the  ranch,  and  they  heard  a  wagon  drive 
up  to  a  door,  load  up  and  drive  away  again.  Then 
some  horses  were  brought  up  from  the  stable. 

"Something  is  doing,  that  is  certain,"  mur 
mured  Dick. 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  there  was  a  move 
ment  at  the  door  of  the  cell  and,  by  the  light  of  a 
lantern,  the  boys  found  themselves  confronted  by 
Sack  Todd,  Andy  Jimson  and  Dan  Baxter. 

"So  you  think  the  youngest  is  the  best  to  take 
along,"  said  Sack  Todd  to  Baxter. 

"Yes;  the  family  think  more  of  him  than  of 
any  one,"  answered  the  bully. 

"All  right.    Sam  Rover,  come  out  of  that !" 

"What  do  you  want  me  for?"  asked  the  young 
est  Rover. 

"I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

Sam  walked  from  the  cell,  and  the  door  was 
at  once  fastened  as  before.  Then  Sack  Todd 
caught  the  youth  by  the  arm. 


2i 8        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Now,  march  upstairs,  and  be  lively  about  it. 
We  have  no  time  to  waste." 

"But " 

"No  'buts'  now,  Rover.  We'll  talk  later  on," 
growled  the  ranch  owner  savagely.  "Just  now 
I've  got  my  mind  full  of  other  things." 

Sam  was  led  to  the  main  floor  of  the  ranch, 
and  then  without  ado  his  hands  were  fastened 
behind  him.  Then  he  was  told  to  march  outside. 
Here  two  light  wagons  were  in  waiting,  and  he 
was  bundled  into  one,  along  with  Jimson  and 
another  man,  and  Dan  Baxter.  The  other  wagon 
was  loaded  with  boxes  and  driven  by  two  men. 
Several  horses  stood  by,  saddled  for  use. 

"Where  are  we  going?"  asked  the  youngest 
Rover. 

"To  the  North  Pole,"  chuckled  Dan  Baxter. 
"Don't  you  wish  you  knew !" 

"Are  all  the  men  going  to  leave?" 

"That's  their  business,  not  yours." 

"You  are  very  kind,  Baxter.  I  guess  you  don't 
know  yourself." 

"Don't  I,  though?  Why,  I'm  right  hand-and- 
hand  with  this  crowd,"  added  the  bully  boastfully. 

"Maybe  you  only  think  you  are." 

"Huh!    I  know  what  I  am  doing." 

"You've  said  that  before — and  got  tripped  up, 
just  the  same." 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  219 

"There  won't  be  any  trip-up  about  this." 

"Don't  be  too  sure." 

"See  here,"  spoke  up  Andy  Jimson.  "When  we 
get  on  the  road,  all  of  you  have  got  to  keep  quiet" 

"All  right,  mum's  the  world,  old  man,"  an 
swered  Dan  Baxter  cheerfully. 

"Did  you  hear?"  demanded  the  long-nosed 
man,  looking  at  Sam. 

"I  did." 

"Are  you  going  to  mind?" 

"I  am  not  your  slave." 

"Humph!  Do  you  know  what  Todd  said  to 
me?  He  said :  'If  the  kid  won't  keep  quiet  when 
you  tell  him,  shoot  him/  How  do  you  like 
that?" 

"I  don't  like  it." 

"I  am  going  to  run  no  chances  with  you,"  con 
tinued  Andy  Jimson.  "You  have  got  to  keep 
very  quiet.  Don't  you  open  your  mouth  once 
after  we  get  started.  I've  got  a  pistol  handy,  and 
I  know  how  to  use  it." 

In  the  meantime,  several  from  the  ranch  were 
walking  around,  talking  in  low,  excited  tones. 
Then,  from  a  distance,  came  a  shot,  followed  by 
two  more  in  rapid  succession. 

"The  signal !"  cried  Sack  Todd.  "Boys,  some 
thing  is  doing  now,  sure.  We  must  get  away, 
and  at  once.  Are  you  all  ready?  " 


220        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

There  was  a  chorus  of  assents. 

"I  think  we  had  better  divide.  The  wagons 
can  go  by  the  honey-tree  route,  and  those  on 
horseback  by  the  swamp  road.  We  can  meet  at 
the  Four  Rocks  to-morrow,  if  all  goes  well." 

So  it  was  agreed,  and  soon  some  of  the  horse 
men  were  off,  each  carrying  a  load  of  some  kind. 
Then  the  wagons  began  to  move,  that  with  the 
load  of  boxes  going  first.  The  turnouts  plunged 
at  once  into  the  woods,  where  the  darkness  was 
intense.  They  made  scarcely  any  noise,  for  the 
wagons  were  rubber-tired  and  the  horses  wore 
rubber  guards  on  their  shoes. 

It  would  be  hard  to  analyze  Sam's  feelings  as 
he  realized  that  he  was  being  taken  away  from 
the  ranch,  he  knew  not  to  where.  To  escape  in  the 
darkness  was  out  of  the  question,  for  the  man 
who  sat  beside  him  had  his  arm  linked  into  his 
own.  More  than  this,  he  felt  sure  that  Andy 
Jimson  would  shoot  him  at  the  first  sign  of 
trouble. 

The  wagon  road  wound  around  in  the  forest, 
and  was  in  anything  but  good  repair,  so  that  poor 
Sam  was  jounced  about  until  he  felt  sore  all  over. 
He  did  not  dare  to  speak,  and,  truth  to  tell,  he  did 
not  know  what  to  say.  He  realized  that  if  he 
asked  what  was  to  become  of  his  brothers,  nobody 
would  tell  him. 


TOGETHER  ONCE  MORE  221 

Presently  the  wagon  began  to  climb  a  slight  hill. 
The  horses  tugged  away  manfully,  but  were  ex 
hausted  when  the  top  of  the  rise  was  gained,  and 
had  to  rest. 

"Hullo,  what's  that?  "  exclaimed  Dan  Baxter 
as  he  gazed  back  in  the  direction  of  the  ranch. 

"Shut  up,"  answered  the  long-nosed  man  warn- 
ingly. 

Sam  could  not  help  but  look  back.  The  top  of 
the  rise  was  almost  bare  of  trees,  so  his  view  was 
a  perfect  one.  The  sight  that  met  his  gaze  caused 
his  heart  to  sink  with  a  sickening  dread. 

Red  Rock  ranch  was  in  flames ! 

"Tom  and  Dick!"  he  murmured  to  himself. 
"If  they  are  still  prisoners,  what  will  become  of 
them?  " 


CHAPTER    XXVII 

THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH 

LEFT  to  themselves,  Tom  and  Dick  scarcely 
knew  what  to  do  for  the  time  being.  What  waff 
to  become  of  Sam  they  did  not  know,  but  the) 
felt  that  the  outlook  was  darker  than  ever. 

"Dick,  we  must  get  out !"  cried  Tom  at  length 
"I  can't  stand  this  sort  of  thing." 

"I  can't  stand  it  myself.  But  how  are  we  going 
to  get  out?  That  door  is  like  the  wall,  for 
strength." 

There  was  more  noise  overhead,  but  presently 
this  ceased,  and  all  became  as  quiet  as  a  tomb. 

"What  do  you  make  of  it,  now?"  came  from 
the  fun-loving  Rover. 

"I  think  they  have  left  the  ranch,  Tom." 

"Left— for  good?  " 

"Perhaps.  They  know  that  James  Monday 
will  make  it  warm  for  them.  That  letter  put  them 
on  their  guard." 

"What  a  fool  I  was  to  deliver  it,  Dick!  I 
ought  to  be  kicked  for  doing  it.  If  we  had  only 
opened  it  and  read  it!" 

222 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH  223 

"The  others  must  still  be  on  the  watch." 

"Yes,  unless  they,  too,  have  been  captured." 

The  boys  returned  to  the  hole  in  the  wall  and, 
to  occupy  themselves,  dug  away  at  it  harder  than 
ever.  Another  stone  was  loosened  and  pulled 
into  the  cell. 

"We're  making  a  little  progress,  anyway/' 
sighed  Tom. 

"Hark!  I  hear  something,"  said  Dick  a  little 
later.  "Listen!" 

They  stopped  their  work  and  both  strained  their 
ears.  A  curious  roaring  and  crackling  came  from 
overhead. 

"That's  odd,"  mused  Tom.  "What  do  you 
make  of  it?" 

"I  am  almost  afraid  to  say,  Tom." 

"Afraid?" 

"Yes.  If  it  is  what  I  think,  we  may  be 
doomed,"  went  on  the  eldest  Rover  seriously. 

"Dick !    What  do  you  think  it  is  ?" 

"The  crackling  of  flames.  They  have  set  the 
ranch  on  fire." 

"Would  they  do  that — and  leave  us  here?  It 
is — is  inhuman." 

"Those  men  are  desperate  characters,  Torn,  and 
they'd  stop  at  nothing." 

They  continued  to  listen,  and  soon  the  roaring 
and  crackling  grew  plainer.  Then  came  a  dull 


224       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

thud  as  some  timbers  fell,  and  a  current  of  air 
carried  some  smoke  into  the  cell. 

"We  must  get  out — somehow,  some  way!" 
cried  Dick.  "If  we  don't,  we'll  be  caught  like 
beasts  in  a  cage."  A  sudden  thought  struck 
him.  "Tom,  take  up  one  of  the  stones." 

Dick  lit  what  was  left  of  the  candle-wick  as  he 
spoke  and  placed  it  on  the  bench.  Then  he  took 
up  the  other  stone. 

"Now,  aim  for  the  lock  of  the  door,"  he  went 
on,  "and  both  throw  together.  Ready?" 

"Yes." 

"One,  two,  three!" 

Crash!  Both  large  stones  hit  the  door  with 
tremendous  force.  The  barrier  was  split  from 
end  to  end,  but  still  held  firm. 

"Again !"  cried  Dick,  and  once  more  the  stones 
were  hurled  in  mad  desperation.  There  was  an 
other  crash,  and  the  door  tottered  and  came  away 
from  the  lock.  Then  Tom  threw  his  weight 
against  it  and  it  burst  open  fully. 

A  rush  of  hot  air  and  smoke  greeted  them  as 
they  leaped  into  the  passageway.  Looking  up, 
they  saw  that  the  flooring  above  was  already 
burning. 

"We  can't  go  up  through  the  trap-door,"  said 
Dick.  "We  have  got  to  find  some  other  way  out." 

"Is  there  another  way?" 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH  225 

"I  don't  know.    Come/' 

The  passageway  ran  in  both  directions.  They 
felt  their  way  along  for  ten  feet,  to  find  themselves 
against  another  wall. 

"The  other  way!"  sang  out  Tom.  "Phew!  it's 
getting  pretty  warm  down  here,  isn't  it?" 

"And  smoky,"  answered  his  brother,  beginning 
to  cough. 

They  passed  the  cell  again  and  started  down 
the  passageway  in  the  opposite  direction.  Twenty 
feet  further  on  they  reached  a  wooden  door, 
bolted  on  the  other  side. 

"Stumped  again,"  muttered  Tom.  "Dick,  what 
shall  we  do  now?" 

"Try  to  break  it  down.  Now,  then,  with  all 
your  might,  Tom!" 

It  was  their  only  hope,  and  with  increased 
energy  they  hurled  themselves  at  the  door,  which 
bent  and  creaked.  Then,  at  the  fourth  onslaught, 
the  door  flew  open  and  they  went  sprawling  into 
the  underground  chamber  beyond. 

Here  the  light  from  the  blazing  building  could 
be  plainly  seen,  and  by  this  they  made  out  that 
they  were  in  a  regular  printing  office.  Three 
foot-power  presses  were  there,  also  a  quantity  of 
variously  colored  inks  and  packages  of  odd-col 
ored  paper. 

But  they  could  waste  no  time  in  investigating. 


226        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

The  burning-  brands  were  dropping  around  them, 
and  they  leaped  across  the  printing  room  to  where 
they  saw  another  passageway.  This  had  a  door, 
but  the  barrier  stood  wide  open. 

"In  you  go!"  sang  out  Dick.  "It  must  lead 
somewhere — and,  anyway,  we  can't  stay  here." 

They  rushed  into  the  passageway,  not  an  instant 
too  soon,  for  a  second  later  there  came  another 
crash  and  the  printing  room  was  filled  with  sparks 
and  bits  of  burning  timber.  Then  a  cloud  of 
smoke  all  but  choked  them. 

Half-blinded,  and  scarcely  knowing  what  they 
were  doing,  the  two  Rover  boys  ran  on  and  on, 
down  the  passageway.  It  had  several  crooks  and 
turns,  and  more  than  once  they  brought  up  against 
some  stones  and  dirt  in  anything  but  an  agreeable 
fashion.  But  they  felt  that  they  were  getting 
away  from  the  fire  and  smoke,  and  that  just  then 
meant  everything  to  them. 

At  last,  the  clanger  from  the  conflagration 
seemed  to  be  passed,  and  they  slackened  their 
pace,  and  finally  came  to  a  halt.  Both  were  out 
of  breath. 

"Whe — where  does  this  lead  to?"  gasped  Tom. 

"That's  a  riddle,  Tom.  But  I  know  it  has  taken 
us  away  from  the  fire,  which  is  a  blessing." 

"Dick,  we  have  had  a  narrow  escape." 

"Right  you  are." 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH  227 

"Those  rascals  meant  to  burn  us  up!" 

"They  were  afraid  we  knew  too  much  about 
their  affairs." 

"They  ought  to  go  to  jail  for  this,  and  Dan 
Baxter  with  them/' 

"I  wish  we  were  out  of  this  passageway  and 
could  find  the  rest  of  our  crowd." 

"We  must  find  a  way  out." 

This  was  easier  said  than  done.  They  went 
on  once  more,  and  soon,  without  warning,  stepped 
into  water  up  to  their  knees. 

"Back !"  cried  Dick,  who  was  in  advance.  "We 
don't  want  to  get  drowned.  That  would  be  as 
bad  as  being  burnt  up." 

"We  can  swim,"  answered  Tom  as  he  scrambled 
back. 

"True,  but  I  want  to  know  where  I  am 
swimming  to,  don't  you?  ' 

Tom  got  out  his  waterproof  match  safe  and 
found  that  it  contained  just  one  match.  This 
was  lit,  and  then  he  set  fire  to  some  leaves  from  a 
notebook  in  his  pocket.  By  this  light,  they  saw 
another  turn  of  the  passageway,  leading  upward. 

"That  must  be  a  way  out,"  exclaimed  Tom, 
and  started  in  the  direction,  followed  by  his 
brother. 

"Now,  go  slow,"  warned  Dick  when  they  were 


S28        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

once  more  in  darkness,  the  paper  having  burnt 
itself  out.  "We  don't  want  to  run  into  any  more 
danger,  if  we  can  avoid  it." 

"I  am  on  my  guard,"  answered  Tom. 

They  soon  found  that  the  side  passage  nar 
rowed  greatly,  so  that  they  had  to  proceed  in 
single  file  and  with  heads  bent.  They  moved 
with  their  hands  in  front  of  their  heads,  so  as  to 
avoid  a  possible  collision  with  the  rocks  along  the 
way. 

Presently  Dick's  hand  came  in  contact  with 
something  long  and  straggling.  He  drew  back, 
thinking  he  had  touched  a  snake.  But  then  he 
grew  bolder  and  found  it  to  be  a  tree  root. 

"That  shows  we  are  close  to  the  surface  of  the 
ground, "  said  he.  "If  the  worst  comes  to  the 
worst,  I  fancy  we  can  dig  our  way  upward  with 
our  hands." 

"Maybe,  but  we  don't  want  this  roof  to  cave  in 
on  us,  Dick.  Come  on." 

They  continued  to  go  forward,  but  now  the 
passageway  was  so  small  that  they  had  to  crawl 
on  their  hands  and  knees. 

"This  looks  as  if  we  were  going  to  be  blocked, 
after  all,"  said  Tom. 

"Something  is  ahead,"  whispered  Dick.  "Be 
quiet!" 


THE  BURNING  OF  THE  RANCH  229 

"What  do  you  see?" 

'There  is  an  opening,  and  I  can  see  a  little 
light,  and,  what  is  more,  I  hear  the  sounds  of 
voices.  Maybe  we  have  run  into  our  enemies 
again!" 


CHAPTER    XXVIII 

FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHER 

LEFT  to  themselves  in  the  woods,  Fred,  Song 
bird  and  Hans  scarcely  knew  what  to  do  to  fill  in 
their  time. 

"I  must  say,  I  don't  like  this  dividing  up  at  all," 
remarked  Fred,  after  a  half-hour  had  passed. 
"First  it  was  Sam  and  Dick,  and  now  it  is  Tom. 
After  a  while  none  of  us  will  know  where  any  of 
the  others  are.  Even  the  dog  has  left  us."  It 
may  be  added  here  that  they  never  saw  Wags 
again. 

"Veil,  you  can't  vos  plame  Tom  for  drying  to 
find  his  brudders,"  came  from  Hans.  "I  vos  do 
dot  mineselluf,  of  I  peen  him/' 

"I  hope  Tom  steers  clear  of  trouble,"  said 
Songbird.  "You  know  how  he  is — the  greatest 
hand  for  getting  into  mischief." 

The  time  dragged  heavily  on  their  hands,  and 
when  it  grew  dark  not  one  of  them  felt  like  retir 
ing.  Songbird  tried  to  put  on  a  cheerful  front, 
but  it  was  a  dismal  failure,  and  nobody  listened 
to  the  rhymes  he  made  half  under  his  breath. 

230 


FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHER 


23* 


At  last  came  a  whistle,  repeated  several  times 
in  rapid  succession.  Then  a  form  emerged  out 
of  the  darkness. 

"Who  goes  there?"  shouted  Fred. 

"Hullo,  boys!"  was  the  answering  cry,  and 
James  Monday  came  into  the  little  clearing.  "I 
was  afraid  I  had  lost  my  way." 

"Didn't  you  see  Tom?"  they  asked. 

"Yes,  I  saw  him — up  to  the  ranch.  He  came 
with  a  letter,  and  that  spoilt  about  everything,  for 
it  was  a  warning.  They  found  out  who  he  was 
through  that  Baxter  and  made  him  a  prisoner. 
Then  I  had  to  sneak  away,  for  I  knew  they  were 
after  me,  too." 

"Found  out  you  wasn't  me,  eh?"  put  in  Bill 
Cashaw.  "Thought  they  might.  That  crowd  is 
a  clever  one.  Where's  my  wagon  and  horses  ?" 

"I  had  to  leave  them  behind.  Here  are  your  hat 
and  coat.  I'll  thank  you  to  give  me  my  own," 
went  on  the  government  official,  and  the  exchange 
was  quickly  made. 

The  boys  asked  James  Monday  many  ques 
tions,  which  he  answered  as  best  he  could.  But 
he  was  in  a  hurry,  and  told  them  so. 

"I  want  to  watch  that  ranch,"  he  said.  "But 
I'd  like  one  of  you  to  ride  to  town  as  hard  as  you 
can  and  take  a  message  for  me." 


I32        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"I'll  take  the  message,  if  there  is  anything  in 
it,"  came  quickly  from  Bill  Cashaw. 

"No,  I  want  one  of  the  boys  to  take  it.  You 
can  go  along,  if  you  wish,"  went  on  James  Mon 
day.  He  was  not  quite  willing  to  trust  the  old 
man. 

The  matter  was  discussed  hurriedly,  and  it  was 
decided  that  Fred  should  carry  the  message,  and 
it  was  written  on  a  slip  of  paper  which  the  boy 
tucked  away  in  an  inside  pocket.  Then  off  he 
and  the  old  man  started  for  town,  both  on 
horseback. 

"The  gang  at  the  ranch  is  a  desperate  one," 
said  the  government  official  when  the  pair  were 
gone.  "The  most  I  can  hope  to  do  is  to  watch 
them  until  help  arrives." 

"Then  you  sent  for  help?"  asked  Songbird. 

"Yes,  and  if  the  message  is  properly  delivered, 
the  help  will  not  be  long  in  arriving." 

The  detective  wanted  to  move  closer  to  the 
ranch,  and  Hans  and  Songbird  did  as  requested, 
taking  the  horses  with  them.  They  were  as 
anxious  to  make  a  move  as  was  the  detective,  but 
just  then  there  seemed  nothing  to  do  but  to  wait. 

Suddenly  Songbird  uttered  a  cry. 

"I  smell  smoke !    Can  the  forest  be  on  fire  ?" 

"Of  it  vos,  ve  had  besser  git  owit  kvick !"  ejacu 
lated  Hans.  "I  ton't  vont  to  burn  up,  nohow!" 


FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHER       233 

"I  see  a  light,"  returned  James  Monday.  He 
ran  to  where  there  was  a  cleared  space.  "I  be 
lieve  the  ranch  is  on  fire !"  he  gasped. 

"It  is  so !"  exclaimed  Songbird.  "I  can  see  the 
flames  plainly.  Now,  how  did  that  happen?" 

"I  don't  know.  Let  us  draw  closer.  I  want  to 
see  what  Sack  Todd  and  his  crowd  will  do." 

The  government  official  hurried  forward  and 
the  two  boys  followed  him,  bringing  along  the 
horses  as  before.  Soon  they  were  at  a  spot  where 
they  could  see  the  conflagration  plainly.  To  their 
astonishment,  not  a  soul  appeared  around  the 
ranch  or  the  outbuildings. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  asked  Songbird. 
"That  gang  certainly  can't  be  in  the  burning" 
building. 

"I  know  what  it  means!"  cried  the  detective,, 
and  there  was  something  like  anguish  in  his  voice. 
"They  have  abandoned  the  ranch  and  set  fire 
to  it!" 

"Abandoned  the  ranch?"  repeated  Songbird. 

"Den  vot  of  der  Rofer  poys?"  asked  the  Ger 
man  youth. 

"Don't  ask  me,"  said  the  detective.  "They 
may  have  escaped,  or  else — "  He  did  not  finish. 

"Do  you  mean  those  rascals  might  leave  them 
in  the  ranch,  prisoners?"  asked  Songbird 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"It's  a  hard  thing  to  say,  but  you  know  as  mtr;K 
as  I  do.  This  knocks  my  last  plan  endways.  I 
must  see  if  I  can't  get  on  the  trail  of  the  gang 
that  has  run  away,"  James  Monday  added.  "Will 
you  let  me  have  one  of  the  horses  ?" 

"Certainly.    But " 

"Unless  I  act  quickly,  those  men  may  get  miles 
and  miles  away,  and  then  it  will  be  next  to  im 
possible  to  round  them  up,"  continued  the  gov 
ernment  official.  "I  must  go  after  Fred  Garrison 
and  hurry  along  that  extra  help." 

"Where  shall  we  meet  you?" 

"I  can't  tell,  exactly.  We  might —  Hullo, 
what's  that?" 

A  peculiar  sound  close  at  hand  caused  the 
detective  to  pause.  They  heard  a  flat  rock  fall 
down,  and  then,  to  their  amazement,  saw  two 
dirty  and  begrimed  persons  emerge  from  a  hole 
in  the  ground. 

"Who  vos  dot?"  gasped  Hans,  ready  to  retreat 
in  fright. 

"Hullo,  Hans !"  cried  Tom  Rover.  "Don't  you  , 
know  Dick  and  me?  We  just  arrived  by  the  new  ' 
subway." 

"Tom  and  Dick !"  ejaculated  Songbird.  "Truly, 
I  must  be  dreaming!" 

"But  you  are  not,"  came  from  Dick  as  he 
stepped  closer.  "Oh,  but  I'm  glad  to  get  out  of 


FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHER       235 

that  hole!"  he  added.  "And  glad  to  fall  among 
friends  once  more." 

"Hullo,  Mr.  Monday/'  said  Tom.  "So  you 
escaped,  after  all?  That's  good.  Have  any  of 
you  seen  anything  of  Sam?" 

"Sam?"  asked  Songbird.  "Wasn't  he  with 
you?" 

"He  was,  but  the  counterfeiters  carried  him  off 
with  them  when  they  left  the  ranch." 

"Then  he  must  still  be  a  prisoner." 

"Yes." 

"When  we  first  heard  your  voices,  we  thought 
we  had  run  into  some  of  our  enemies,"  said  Dick. 
"We  were  mighty  glad  to  learn  otherwise.  Now, 
if  Sam  was  only  here " 

"We  must  find  him !"  broke  in  Tom.  "And  the 
sooner  we  get  on  the  trail,  the  better." 

"I  was  just  going  away  to  hurry  along  some 
help,"  came  from  James  Monday.  "Maybe  all  of 
you  had  better  remain  in  the  forest  on  guard  until 
I  get  back.  If  you  spread  out,  you  may  learn 
something." 

A  little  later,  the  government  official  hurried 
off  on  one  of  the  horses,  leaving  the  boys  to  them 
selves.  Tom  and  Dick  brushed  off  their  clothing 
and  washed  up  in  a  nearby  pool  of  water. 

"I  think  the  best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  move 
over  to  one  of  the  wagon  roads,"  said  Dick. 


236        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"We'll  never  discover  anything  in  a  spot  like 
this." 

They  moved  along,  taking  turns  at  riding  on 
the  horses  left  to  them.  They  were  still  a  short 
distance  from  one  of  the  trails,  when  they  caught 
sight  of  a  lantern's  gleam,  and  soon  after  they 
heard  the  low  murmur  of  voices. 

"Somebody  is  over  there,  that  is  certain,"  whis 
pered  Dick.  "Don't  make  any  noise,  fellows !" 

Almost  holding  their  breath,  they  crawled  for 
ward  through  the  undergrowth  and  between  the 
rocks,  and  presently  gained  a  point  where  they 
could  see  the  outline  of  a  wagon.  The  vehicle 
had  lost  one  wheel,  and  they  could  see  three 
persons  moving  around  it,  inspecting  the  damage 
done. 

"This  is  the  worst  luck  yet,"  they  heard  a  man 
exclaim. 

"Well,  why  didn't  you  look  out  for  ruts?"  said 
another. 

"Look  out?  How  could  I  look  out  in  such 
a  pitchy  darkness?" 

"What's  to  be  done?"  asked  a  third  voice. 

"I  don't  know,  unless  we  unhook  the  team  and 
take  turns  at  riding  horseback,"  was  the  reply. 

At  this  juncture,  Dick  clutched  Tom  by  the 
arm. 


FROM  ONE  SURPRISE  TO  ANOTHER       237 

"Two  of  those  fellows  are  that  Jimson  and 
Dan  Baxter !"  he  whispered.  "And  do  you  know 
who  is  in  the  wagon,  on  the  rear  seat?" 

"No." 

"Sam." 


CHAPTER    XXIX 

ON  THE  TRAIL  ONCE  MORE 

DICK  and  Tom  were  delighted  to  think  that 
they  had  gotten  on  the  trail  of  their  brother  thus 
readily,  and  they  and  their  friends  withdrew  for  a 
short  distance,  that  they  might  hold  a  consultation 
without  being  overheard  by  their  enemies. 

"You  are  sure  it's  Sam?"  questioned  Songbird. 
"I  must  say  it  was  so  dark  I  couldn't  see  him." 

"I  saw  him  plainly,  just  as  the  lantern  was 
flashed  his  way,"  answered  Dick.  "He  had  his 
hands  behind  him.  More  than  likely  they  are 
tied  fast,  or  handcuffed." 

"Well,  what  do  you  propose?"  came  from  Tom. 
"I  move  we  go  in  and  attack  our  enemies  rough 
shod.  It  is  what  they  deserve." 

"I  second  the  motion,"  put  in  Songbird. 

"Dot  is  veil  enough  to  dalk  apout,"  put  in 
Hans.  "Put  blease  ton't  forgot  dat  da  pistols  haf 
got,  und  da  can  shoot,  hey?" 

"You've  got  a  pistol,  too,  Hans." 

"Dot  is  so." 

"And  I've  got  one,"  went  on  Songbird 
238 


ON  THE  TRAIL  ONCE  MORE  239 

"Dick  and  I  can  get  rocks  and  sticks/'  said 
Tom.  "We'll  make  it  warm  for  them." 

A  few  words  more,  and  Dick  and  Tom  man 
aged  to  find  some  sticks  and  stones  which  suited 
their  purpose.  Then  they  moved  forward  once 
again. 

At  that  moment  came  a  cry  from  a  distance, 
followed  by  a  pistol  shot.  The  men  around  the 
broken-down  wagon  were  instantly  on  their 
guard,  with  pistols  and  a  shotgun. 

"Shoot  the  first  man  who  tries  to  corner  us!" 
shouted  Andy  Jimson.  "Don't  take  any  chances." 

"Wait!"  cried  Dick  to  Tom,  who  was  on  the 
point  of  exposing  himself.  "Don't  show  yourself 
now.  Help  may  be  at  hand.  Besides,  those  men 
will  shoot  as  soon  as  they  see  us,  now." 

"What  did  that  shot  mean?" 

"I  don't  know.    Maybe  it  was  a  signal." 

"If  we  could  only  let  Sam  know  that  we  are 
at  hand." 

Further  words  were  cut  short  by  another  shot, 
and  a  moment  later  four  men  came  riding  up  at 
top  speed  along  the  wagon  trail. 

"Hullo,  what's  up  here?"  came  in  the  voice  of 
Sack  Todd. 

"Had  a  break-down,"  growled  Andy  Jimson. 
"What  are  you  shooting  for  ?" 

"Just  got  word  that  somebody  has  gone  to 


240        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

town  for  assistance  to  round  us  up.  We  must 
change  our  plans.  You'll  have  to  let  the  wagon 
stay  where  it  is  and  take  to  the  horses.  Luckily, 
we  have  some  extra  ones  along.  Be  quick/' 

"What  of  the  prisoner?" 

"We'd  better  let  him  go." 

"Don't  you  do  it!"  cried  Dan  Baxter.  "I  tell 
you,  you  can  make  money  by  holding  him." 

"I'd  like  to  wring  Baxter's  neck  for  that !"  mut 
tered  Tom. 

"All  right,  then,  take  him  along — at  least,  for 
the  present,"  said  Sack  Todd.  "But  don't  waste 
time.  Here  are  the  horses." 

The  transfer  from  the  wagon  to  the  horses  was 
quickly  accomplished.  Sam  was  made  to  mount  a 
steed,  and  Andy  Jimson  rode  on  one  side  of  him 
and  Dan  Baxter  on  the  other.  The  rest  of  the 
men  rode  in  front  and  in  the  rear,  and  soon  the 
spot  where  the  break-down  had  occurred  was  left 
behind. 

"Now,  what's  to  do?"  asked  Tom  ruefully.  He 
realized,  as  well  as  the  others,  that  it  would  have 
been  useless  to  have  attacked  such  a  large  crowd. 

"There  is  but  one  thing  to  do,  Tom :  follow 
them.  As  soon  as  they  locate,  we  can  go  back 
for  help.  They  can't  travel  more  than  twenty- 
four  hours  without  stopping,  and  I  believe  they'll 
go  into  hiding  as  soon  as  it  is  daylight." 


ON  THE  TRAIL  ONCE  MORE  241 

With  care,  they  advanced  on  the  trail  of  those 
ahead.  This  was  a  rather  difficult  task,  for  the 
lantern  had  been  put  out,  and  it  was  pitch-dark 
under  the  trees.  More  than  once  their  steeds 
went  into  a  hollow  with  a  jounce  that  threatened 
to  throw  one  01*  another  to  the  ground. 

"If  only  James  Monday  would  appear  with 
about  ten  men,"  sighed  Tom.  "Couldn't  we  make 
it  warm  for  those  chaps !" 

"He  won't  be  coming  back  for  a  long  time," 
said  Songbird.  "He  is  no  wizard,  even  if  he  is  a 
detective.  It  is  only  in  the  sensational,  five-cent 
libraries  that  the  noble  detective  turns  up  every 
time  he  is  needed/' 

"Yes,  and  kills  about  ten  men  hand-running," 
added  Tom  with  a  laugh. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour's  ride  through  the 
forest,  all  of  the  boys  were  so  fagged  out  they 
could  scarcely  keep  on  horseback.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  they  had  to  take  turns  at  riding, 
there  not  being  enough  steeds  to  go  around. 

"I  wish  they'd  come  to  a  stop/'  muttered  Song 
bird.  "I  declare,  if  I  ever  get  the  chance,  I'm 
going  to  rest  for  a  week!" 

"Ton't  say  a  vord,"  groaned  Hans.  "I  vos  so 
lame  I  can't  most  sit  up  alretty!" 

"Let  us  be  thankful  if  they  don't  discover  that 
we  are  following  them,"  said  Dick.  "If  they  did 


142        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

find  it  out,  they  would  certainly  make  it  warm 
for  us." 

A  little  while  later  the  forest  was  left  behind^ 

.  and  the  party  ahead  and  that  in  the  rear  came  out 

on  the  broad  and  rolling  prairies.    It  wab  growing 

cloudy,  so  that  the  boys  kept  their  enemies  in 

sight  with  difficulty,  not  daring  to  draw  too  close. 

Far  away,  they  could  see  the  lights  of  a  town 
gleaming,  but  these  were  soon  lost  to  view  around 
a  bit  of  rising  ground.  Then  they  forded  a  small 
stream  and  began  to  climb  the  slope  of  a  small 
hill,  at  the  top  of  which  were  a  series  of  rocks 
Here  they  fancied  the  counterfeiters  might  halt, 
but  they  were  disappointed.  The  crowd  ahead 
toiled  over  the  hill  and  then  struck  off  across  an 
other  section  of  the  rolling  plains. 

"I  can't  ride  much  further,"  said  Tom  at  last. 
"I  am  so  tired  I  am  ready  to  drop." 

''Ditto  here,"  came  from  Songbird. 

Nevertheless,  they  kept  on,  and  thus  was  the 
shadowing  continued  until  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  when  the  party  ahead  came  to  a  patch 
of  timber  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill.  Here,  among 
the  trees  and  rocks,  they  went  into  a  temporary 
camp. 

The  boys  had  come  as  close  as  they  dared,  and 
reaching  a  convenient  hillock  with  a  clump  of 


ON  THE  TRAIL  ONCE  MORE  243 

bushes,  dismounted  and  threw  themselves  on  the 
ground. 

"They  are  going  into  camp,  sure  enough,"  an 
nounced  Dick  after  a  careful  inspection.  "Now, 
the  question  arises :  what  is  best  to  do  next?" 

"I  know  what  ought  to  be  done,"  answered  his 
brother,  "but  I  am  too  tired  to  do  it." 

"Go  for  help?"  asked  Songbird. 

"Exactly.  But  I  could  no  more  ride  back  to 
town  than  I  could  fly." 

"Dot  is  vot's  der  madder  mit  me,"  put  in 
Hans.  "I  could  schleep  standing  ub,  ain't  it!" 

"Well,  I'll  go  for  help,  then,"  said  Dick.  "But 
I  must  have  one  of  the  horses." 

"Take  the  best  of  them,  Dick." 

The  eldest  Rover  inspected  the  animals,  and 
finally  chose  one  that  looked  fairly  fresh. 

"Now,  mind,  don't  get  into  more  trouble  while 
I  am  gone,"  he  said.  "If  they  move  on,  simply 
keep  them  in  sight." 

A  few  minutes  later,  Dick  took  his  departure, 
moving  straight  for  the  town  they  had  seen  earlier 
!  in  the  night.     He  knew  nothing  of  the  trails,  but 
trusted  to  luck  not  to  go  astray. 

"I've  got  to  make  that  town,"  he  told  himself. 
"And  do  it  without  wasting  time,  too." 

Soon  he  found  himself  utterly  alone  on  the 
plains,  and,  urging  his  horse  forward  at  the  steed's 


244        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

best  rate  of  speed — a  gallop  that  was  anything 
but  easy  to  the  worn-out  youth.  But  Dick  was 
not  thinking-  of  himself.  His  mind  was  on  Sam, 
and  how  his  youngest  brother  might  be  rescued. 

"Whoa,  there!" 

The  command  was  a  most  unexpected  one, 
coming  from  out  of  the  darkness,  and  at  the  word 
Dick's  horse  came  to  a  standstill.  For  the  in 
stant  the  youth  could  see  nobody,  but  then  two 
horsemen  hove  into  sight,  each  heavily  armed. 

At  first,  Dick  could  not  make  out  who  they 
were,  but  as  they  drew  nearer  his  heart  sank 
within  him.  One  of  the  newcomers  was  a  man 
he  had  seen  working  around  Red  Rock  ranch  and 
the  other  was  the  negro  called  Watermelon  Pete, 
the  fellow  who  had  given  the  Rovers  trouble  while 
oft  the  houseboat. 


CHAPTER    XXX 

A   ROUND-UP CONCLUSION 

THE  man  from  Red  Rock  ranch  was  very  much 
startled  to  see  Dick,  and  stared  at  the  youth  for 
several  seconds  without  speaking. 

The  eldest  Rover  thought  for  an  instant  of 
putting  his  horse  to  flight,  but  then  realized  with 
a  pang  that  the  animal  would  not  be  equal  to  the 
task. 

"Where  under  the  sun  did  you  come  from?" 
growled  the  man  at  last. 

"It's  dat  same  fellah !"  cried  Watermelon  Pete. 
"I  dun  see  him  on  de  ribber  an'  at  de  ranch,  too !" 

"Yes,  the  fellow  who  was  left  in  a  cell  at  Red 
Rock,"  returned  the  white  man.  "How  did  you 
escape?"  he  went  on,  to  Dick. 

"Smashed  the  door  and  came  out  in  a  hurry," 
answered  Dick.  He  saw  no  harm  in  telling  the 
truth. 

"Where  is  your  brother?" 

"What  business  is  that  of  yours?" 

"Don't  get  funny  with  me,"  growled  the  maa 
245 


•46        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

"Are  you  alone  ?"  he  continued,  peering  around  in 
the  darkness. 

"You  had  better  find  out." 

"Why  don't  you  finish  him  off,  Puller?"  came 
from  the  negro.  "Ain't  nobody  else  around." 

"You're  a  fine  rascal!"  burst  out  Dick.  "If 
you  touch  me,  there  is  going  to  be  trouble." 

"I  reckon  you'll  come  with  me,"  said  the  white 
man  harshly.  "We  ain't  goin'  to  run  no  risks, 
understand?  If  you  put  anybody  on  our  trail — " 
He  did  not  finish.  "Face  around  there!"  he 
ordered. 

"See  here,  do  you  think  you  are  treating  me 
fairly?"  asked  Dick.  He  wished  to  gain  time,  so 
that  he  could  think  matters  over  and  decide  what 
was  best  to  do. 

"I  won't  parley  the  question,"  growled  the  man. 
"Face  around  and  do  it  quick,  if  you  want  to  save 
your  hide." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  Dick  faced 
around.  As  he  did  so,  he  caught  the  sounds  of 
hoof  strokes  at  a  distance.  Puller  and  Water 
melon  Pete  did  not  appear  to  notice  them. 

"Wait  a  minute,  I  dropped  something,"  said 
the  eldest  Rover,  and  slid  to  the  ground.  He  pre 
tended  to  search  around.  "Got  a  light?" 

"What  did  you  drop?" 

"Something  valuable,"  said  Dick,  but  did  not 


A  ROUND-UP—CONCLUSION  247 

add  that  it  was  only  a  harness  buckle.  He  was 
straining  his  ears  and  heard  the  hoof  strokes 
coming  closer. 

"Well,  hurry  up  and  find  it.  We  are  not  going 
to  stay  here  until  the  sun  comes  up,"  growled 
Puller. 

A  moment  later,  the  sounds  of  horses  approach 
ing  could  be  heard  plainly.  Dick  began  to  cough 
loudly,  but  the  ears  of  the  negro  could  not  be 
deceived. 

"Listen !"  he  said  warningly.  "Hosses  comin', 
suah  as  yo'  is  boahn !" 

"Horses?"  cried  the  white  man.  "Then  we 
had  better  make  tracks." 

"Who  is  there?"  cried  Dick  at  the  top  of  his 
voice.  If  they  were  enemies,  he  knew  he  could  be 
no  worse  off. 

"Shut  your  mouth !"  howled  the  white  man. 

"Hullo!"  was  the  answering  call,  and  in  a 
moment  several  men  dashed  up,  all  heavily  armed, 
and  accompanied  by  James  Monday  and  Fred 
Garrison. 

"Help!"  called  out  Dick.  "Don't  let  them  get 
away!" 

"They  are  not  going  to  catch  me!"  growled 
Puller,  and  struck  his  horse  in  the  side.  The 
animal  bounded  forward  and  was  followed  by 
that  on  which  the  negro  was  riding.  Scarcely  had 


248        THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

this  been  done  when  a  shot  rang  out  and  the 
negro  fell  from  his  saddle  to  the  ground. 

"Halt,  in  the  name  of  the  law!"  cried  James 
Monday  to  Puller,  but  the  man  paid  no  attention. 
Several  shots  were  fired  at  him,  but  soon  the 
gloom  of  early  morning  hid  him  from  view. 

"I'm  more  than  glad  that  you  have  come,"  cried 
Dick  to  the  government  official  and  Fred.  "How 
did  you  get  here  so  quickly?" 

"It  was  mostly  luck,"  answered  the  detective. 
"Garrison  delivered  the  message  to  just  the  right 
party  and  I  ran  into  the  crowd  just  coming  away 
from  the  town.  We  have  got  nine  men  here,  and 
all  willing  to  do  their  utmost  to  round  up  that 
Red  Rock  ranch  gang." 

It  was  soon  learned  that  Watermelon  Pete  had 
been  hit  in  the  thigh.  The  wound  was  not  a  fatal 
one,  but  it  was  destined  to  put  the  rascal  in  the 
hospital  for  some  time  to  come. 

"You  must  follow  that  fellow  who  got  away, 
and  at  once,"  said  Dick  to  James  Monday,  and 
then  he  told  of  what  had  happened  during  the 
night  and  of  where  Sack  Todd  and  his  confeder 
ates  were  located. 

Leaving  his  tired  horse  behind  him,  the  eldest 
Rover  mounted  the  animal  Watermelon  Pete  had 
been  riding,  and  the  whole  party,  minus  the  negro, 
who  was  left  to  take  care  of  himself  for  the  time 


A  ROUND-UP—CONCLUSION  249 

being-,  started  for  the  rendezvous  of  the 
counterfeiters. 

"If  you  do  any  shooting,  be  careful  and  don't 
hit  my  brother  Sam,"  said  Dick. 

"I'll  warn  the  men,"  answered  James  Monday, 
and  did  so. 

Dick  was  so  tired  he  could  scarcely  sit  up  in  the 
saddle.  But  he  longed  to  see  Sam  rescued,  and  so 
rode  along  as  best  he  could. 

As  they  neared  the  spot  where  Tom  and  his 
friends  were  in  waiting,  they  heard  a  faint  shout 
and  soon  the  fun-loving  Rover  appeared.  He 
had  heard  the  distant  firing  when  Watermelon 
Pete  was  hit  and  was  afraid  Dick  had  been 
wounded. 

"Good !  good !"  he  shouted  when  he  recognized 
Dick  and  the  government  official  and  Fred.  "This 
is  the  best  yet.  Now,  I  hope  we  can  round  up  that 
whole  crowd." 

They  continued  to  advance,  and  as  they  did  so 
they  heard  a  firing  at  a  distance,  in  the  direction  of 
the  counterfeiters'  rendezvous. 

"Something  has  gone  wrong  there,"  cried  Dick, 

Something  had  gone  wrong,  and  to  the  ad- 
vantage  of  the  Rovers,  as  Dick  and  Tom  after 
wards  learned.  Sam  had  been  left  to  take  care  of 
himself  for  a  few  minutes,  and  by  a  dexterous 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

twist  of  his  wrists  had  managed  to  rid  himself 
of  the  rope  which  bound  him. 

Watching  a  favorable  moment,  the  youngest 
Rover  slid  behind  a  rock  and  then  began  to  run 
at  his  best  rate  of  speed  for  another  shelter  some 
distance  away. 

As  soon  as  his  flight  was  discovered  some  men 
went  in  pursuit,  and  two  shots  were  fired  at  the 
boy,  one  grazing  his  left  shoulder,  but  leaving 
only  a  scratch. 

The  counterfeiters  would  have  continued  to 
pursue  the  fleeing  one,  but  now  a  new  alarm 
sounded  out  and  a  guard  rushed  up. 

"A  posse  is  after  us!"  called  the  guard.  "We 
have  got  to  fight,  or  ride  for  it." 

"Let  us  fight !"  exclaimed  Sack*  Todd,  but  this 
proposition  was  voted  down,  as  it  was  not  known 
how  many  were  after  the  evildoers. 

Sack  Todd  was  the  last  man  to  leap  into  the 
saddle.  As  he  did  so,  he  gritted  his  teeth  hard. 

"They  shan't  capture  me!"  he  muttered.  "I 
am  not  to  be  taken  alive !" 

Away  went  the  crowd  at  a  breakneck  speed,  Dan 
Baxter  in  their  midst.  But  at  the  first  opportunity 
the  bully  turned  to  the  southward  and  he  disap 
peared  when  a  patch  of  timber  was  gained. 

'This  is  too  hot  for  me,"  he  muttered.  "I  guess 
the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  get  out  of  this  neigh- 


A  ROUND-UP—CONCLUSION  251 

borhood  and  skip  for  parts  unknown  for  a  while/' 
And  then  he  urged  his  horse  still  further  to  the 
southward,  until  the  mists  in  a  swamp  in  the  midst 
of  the  timber  hid  him  completely  from  view. 

Having  escaped  from  his  captors,  Sam  hardly 
knew  what  to  do,  but,  as  he  heard  a  number  of 
shots  fired,  he  made  up  his  mind  that  help  must 
be  at  hand,  and  so  he  hurried  back  on  the  trail, 
and  presently  came  in  sight  of  the  other  boys. 
Then  he  set  up  a  mad  shout  of  joy,  which  they 
quickly  echoed. 

"Are  you  perfectly  safe,  Sam?"  asked  Dick, 
riding  up. 

"Yes,  although  I  had  a  narrow  escape,"  and  the 
youngest  Rover  pointed  to  where  the  bullet  had 
grazed  his  shoulder.  "What  of  the  others?" 

"All  safe  and  sound/'  sang  out  Tom,  coming 
up.  "And  James  Monday  and  a  big  posse  are 
after  Sack  Todd  and  his  crowd  hot-footed." 

"Shall  we  join  in?"  asked  Songbird. 

"I  can't  go  another  step,"  answered  Dick.  "I 
am  more  than  tired,"  and  he  sank  in  a  heap  on 
the  saddle. 

"You  boys  stay  here,  and  we'll  fix  those  ras 
cals,"  cried  a  man  of  the  posse.  "You  have  done 
enough." 

"I  guess  we  have,"  said  Tom.    "We  are  safe 


252       THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and  sound,  and  that  is  the  main  thing,  so  far  as 
we  are  concerned." 

Here  let  me  add  a  few  words  more  and  then 
bring-  to  a  close  this  tale  of  'The  Rover  Boys  on 
the  Plains." 

Utterly  worn  out,  the  boys  remained  where 
they  were  until  noon  of  the  day  which  was  now 
dawning.  At  a  great  distance,  they  heard  pistol 
and  gun  shots,  and  they  knew  that  some  sort  of  a 
fight  must  be  going  on. 

They  were  just  preparing  to  move  for  town, 
when  they  saw  two  of  the  posse  returning  with 
three  prisoners,  each  disarmed  and  with  his  hands 
bound  behind  him.  One  of  the  prisoners  was 
Puller  and  another  Andy  Jimson. 

"We  are  going  to  get  most  of  them,"  said  one 
of  the  posse  to  the  boys.  "But  they  are  a  pretty 
desperate  lot." 

The  prisoners  were  placed  in  charge  of  the 
Rovers  and  their  friends,  and  the  whole  party 
moved  for  town  without  delay,  while  the  men  of 
the  posse  went  back  to  continue  the  hunt  for  the 
counterfeiters.  In  the  end,  every  man  but  Sack 
Todd  was  captured.  Dan  Baxter  was  tracked  to 
the  edge  of  the  swamp,  and  there  his  horse  was 
found,  stuck  in  the  ooze.  Nearby  lay  the  hat  of 
the  bully. 


A  ROUND-UP—CONCLUSION  253 

"My  opinion  is  that  Baxter  lost  his  life  trying 
to  get  through  the  swamp,"  said  James  Monday 
after  the  hunt  had  come  to  a  finish. 

"What  a  horrible  end,"  said  Sam,  and  shivered. 

"Perhaps  he  did  lose  his  life,"  was  Dick's  com 
ment.  "But  I  shan't  believe  it  until  I  have  the 
direct  evidence.  I  guess,  though,  I've  seen  the 
last  of  my  watch,"  he  added. 

A  search  was  kept  up  for  several  days  for  Bax 
ter,  but  it  brought  no  further  traces  of  the  mis 
guided  youth. 

"He  is  gone,  that's  sure,"  said  Tom.  "I  must 
say,  I  never  thought  he'd  have  such  an  ending 
as  this!" 

James  Monday  was  much  chagrined  to  think 
that  Sack  Todd  had  slipped  him,  but  he  was  much 
elated  when  one  of  the  posse  found  several  pack 
ages  among  the  rocks.  These  packages  contained 
all  of  the  printing  plates  used  in  the  manufactur 
ing  of  the  counterfeit  bank  notes. 

"The  plates  are  what  the  government  wants, 
most  of  all,"  he  told  the  boys.  "They  were  made 
by  an  old  engraver  who  was  once  in  the  employ 
of  the  government.  The  man  is  too  old  and 
shaky  to  make  other  plates,  and  as  Sack  Todd 
isn't  an  engraver  himself,  it's  not  likely  he  will 
attempt  to  go  into  the  business  again." 

As  soon  as  all  the  criminals  were  properly  jailed 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

and  the  boys  had  given  their  testimony,  they  ob 
tained  a  good  night's  rest  and  then  set  off  for 
Carson  Denton's  plantation.  The  remainder  of 
the  trip  proved  uneventful,  and  when  they  reached 
(their  destination  they  felt  in  the  best  of  spirits 
once  more.  The  news  of  what  had  occurred  had 
preceded  them,  and  they  were  looked  upon  as 
heroes  by  the  girls  and  Mrs.  Laning  and  Mrs. 
Stanhope. 

"But  you  mustn't  get  into  any  such  trouble 
again, "  said  Dora  to  Dick. 

"Think,  if  you  had  been  burnt  up  at  that 
fire!"  cried  Nellie. 

"Or  if  those  bad  men  had  shot  you,"  added 
Grace. 

"Well,  we  came  out  of  it  with  a  whole  skin," 
said  Tom,  "so  we  need  not  complain." 

"And  I  guess,  with  Baxter  gone,  our  troubles 
are  about  over,"  said  Sam.  But  he  was  mistaken 
in  his  surmise,  as  we  shall  learn  in  the  next 
volume  of  this  series,  entitled  "The  Rover  Boys 
in  Southern  Waters;  or,  The  Deserted  Steam 
Yacht."  In  this  volume  we  shall  meet  all  of  our 
young  friends  again  and  learn  the  particulars  of 
a  most  peculiar  happening. 

When  the  proper  time  came,  the  rascals  who 
had  been  captured  were  tried  and  sentenced  to 
various  terms  of  imprisonment.  All  that  re- 


A  ROUND-UP—CONCLUSION  255 

mained  of  Red  Rock  ranch  was  confiscated  by  the 
government,  and  the  paper  and  printing 
machinery  were  destroyed. 

While  at  the  plantation,  the  boys  had  much 
sport  hunting  and  fishing  and  riding.  The  girls 
often  went  along;  and  all  too  soon  it  was  an 
nounced  that  the  houseboat  was  once  more  ready 
for  use,  and  the  brief  outing  ashore  must  come 
to  an  end. 

"Well,  take  it  all  in  all,  we  have  had  a  good 
time,"  said  Dick 

"Yes,"  answered  Sam,  "although  we  had  a 
little  more  excitement  than  we  bargained  for." 

"Excitement  1"  came  from  Tom.  "Pooh !  Life 
wouldn't  be  worth  living  without  some  excite 
ment." 

And  then  he  set  up  a  merry  whistle ;  and  with 
that  whistle  let  us  bring  this  story  to  a  close. 


THE  END 


THE  FAMOUS  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 

By  ARTHUR  W.  WINFIELD 

American  Stories  of  American  Boys  and  Girls 

A    MILLION    AND    A    HALF    COPIES    SOLD    OF    THIS    SERIES 

12mo.  CLOTH.          UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING.  COLORED  WRAPPERS. 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 
Or  The  Cadets  of  Putnam  Hall 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 
Or  A   Chase   for   a   Fortune 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Stirring  Adventures  in  Africa 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

Or  The  Search  for  a  Lost  Mine 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

Or  The  Secret  of  the  Island  Cave 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 
Or  A  Hunt  for  Fame  and  Fortune 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 

Or  The  Crusoes  of  Seven  Islands 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 
Or  The  Rivals  of  Pine  Island 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

Or  The  Search  for  the  Missing  Houseboat 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Or  The  Mystery  of  Red  Rock  Ranch 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

Or  The  Deserted   Steam  Yacht 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

Or  The  Last  Days  at  Putnam  Hall 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Steam  Yacht 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

Or  The  Right  Road  and  the  Wrong 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

Or  The  Struggle  for  the  Stanhope  Fortune 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

Or  From  College  Campus  to  the  Clouds 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

Or  Saving  Their  Father's  Honor 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

Or  Lost  in  the  Fields  of   Ice 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 
Or  The  Search  for  the  Missing  Bonds 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 

Or  Last  Days  at  Brill  College. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


THE  DICK  HAMILTON  SERIES 

By  HOWARD  R.  GARIS 
A  Series  That  Has  Become  Very  Popular 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  FORTUNE 

Or   The   Stirring   Doings   of   a   Millionaire's   Son. 

Dick,  the  son  of  a  millionaire,  has  a  fortune  left  to  him  by  his 
mother.  But  before  he  can  touch  the  bulk  of  this  money  it  is  stipulated 
in  his  mother's  will  that  he  must  do  certain  things,  in  order  to  prove 
that  he  is  worthy  of  possessing  such  a  fortune.  The  doings  of  Dick 
and  his  chums  make  the  liveliest  kind  of  reading. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  CADET  DAYS 
Or  The  Handicap  of  a  Millionaire's  Son. 

The  hero  is  sent  to  a  military  academy  to  make  his  way  without 
the  use  of  money.  Life  at  an  up-to-date  military  academy  is  described, 
with  target  shooting,  broadsword  exercise,  trick  riding,  sham  battles, 
etc,  Dick  proves  himself  a  hero  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  STEAM  YACHT 
Or  A  Young  Millionaire  and  the  Kidnappers. 

A  series  of  adventures  while  yachting;  in  which  our  hero's  wealth 
plavs  a  part.  Dick  is  marooned  on  an  island,  recovers  his  yacht  and 
foils  the  kidnappers. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  FOOTBALL  TEAM 
Or  A  Young  Millionaire  on  the  Gridiron. 

A  very  interesting  account  of  how  Dick  developed  a  champion 
team  and  of  the  lively  contests  with  other  teams.  There  is  also  related 
a  number  of  thrilling  incidents  in  which  Dick  is  the  central  figure. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  TOURING  CAR 

Or  A  Young  Millionaire's  Race  for  a  Fortune. 


father  gives   him   an   automobile  made  to   live   in,   which"  en 
ables  him  and  his  companions  to  have  a  good  time. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  AIRSHIP 

Or  A  Young  Millionaire  in  the  Clouds. 

Tells   how  Dick  built   an   airship  to   compete   in   a   twenty   thousand 
dollar  prize  contest,  and  of  many  adventures  he  experiences. 

12mo.     Handsomely  printed  and  illustrated,  and  bound  in 
cloth  stamped  in  colors.    Printed  wrapper*. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


The   Putnam   Hall  Series 

Companion  Stories  to  the  Famous  Rover  Boys  3eries 
By  ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

Open-air  pastimes  have  always  been  popular  with  boys,  and 
should  always  be  encouraged.  These  books  mingle  adventure 
and  fact,  and  will  appeal  to  every  manly  boy. 

i2ino.    Handsomely  printed  and  illustrateo. 


THE  PUTNAM  HALL  MYSTERY 
Or  The  School  Chums'  Strange  Discovery 
The  particulars  of  the  mystery  and  the  solution  of  it  are  very 

interesting  reading. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  ENCAMPMENT 
Or  The  Secret  of  the  Old  Mill 

A  story  full  of  vim  and  vigor,  telling  what  the  cadets  did  during 
the  summer  encampment,  including  a  visit  to  a  mysterious  old 
mill,  said  to  be  haunted.  The  book  has  a  wealth  of  fun  in  it. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  REBELLION 
Or  The  Rival  Runaways 

The  boys  had  good  reasons  for  running  away  during  Captain 
Putnam's  absence.  They  had  plenty  of  fun,  and  several  queer 
adventures. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CHAMPIONS 
Or  Bound  to  Win  Out 

In  this  volume  the  Putnam  Hall  Cadets  show  what  they  can 
do  in  various  keen  rivalries  on  the  athletic  field  and  elsewhere. 
There  is  one  victory  which  leads  to  a  most  unlooked-for  disco  very. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 

Or  Good.  Times  in  School  and  Out 

The  cadets  are  lively,  flesh-and-blood  fellows,  bound  to  make 
friends  from  the  start.  There  are  some  keen  rivalries,  in  school 
and  out,  and  something  is  told  of  a  remarkable  midnight  feast  and 
a  hazing  that  had  an  unlocked  for  ending. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 

Or  Fun  and  Sport  Afloat  and  Ashore 

It  is  a  lively,  rattling,  breezy  story  of  school  life  in  this  country 
written  by  one  who  knows  all  about  its  pleasures  and  its  perplexi 
ties,  its  glorious  excitements,  and  its  chilling  disappointments. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP         ^         NEW  YORK 


The  Flag  and  Frontier  Series 

By  CAPTAIN  RALPH  BONEHILL. 

These  bracing  stories  of  American  life,  exploration  and  adventure 
should  find  a  place  in  every  school  and  home  library  tor  the  enthusiasm 
they  kindle  in  American  heroism  and  history.  The  historical  background 
•R  absolutely  correct.  Every  volume  complete  in  itself. 

I2mo.     Bound  in  cloth.    Stamped  in  colors. 

WITH  BOONE  ON  THE  FRONTIER,  Or  The  Pioneer   Boys  of 
Old  Kentucky. 

Relates  the  true-to-life  adventures  of  two  boys  who,  in  company  with 
their  folks,  move  westward  with  Daniel  Boone.   Contains  many  thrilling 
scenes  among  the  Indians  and  encounters  with  wild  animals. 
PIONEER    BOYS   OF   THE    GREAT  NORTHWEST,    Or  With 
Lewis  and  Clark  Across  the  Rockies. 

A  splendid  story  describing  in  detail  the  great  expedition  formed  un 
der  the  leadership  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  telling  wnat  was  done  by  the 
pioneer  boys  who  were  first  to  penetrate  the  wilderness  of  the  northwest. 
PIONEER    BOYS   OF   THE   GOLD    FIELDS.   Or   The   Nugget 
Hunters  of  '49. 

Giving  the  particulars  of  the  great  rush  of  the  gold  seekers  to  Califor. 
nia  in  1849.    1°  *ne  party  making  its  way  across  the  continent  are  three 
boys  who  become  chums,  and  share  in  no  end  of  adventures. 
WITH   CUSTER   IN    THE   BLACK    HILLS,  Or  A  Young  Seoul 
Among  the  Indians. 

Tells  of  the  experiences  of  a  youth  who,  with  his  parents,  goes  to  tho 
Black  Hills  in  search  of  gold.    Custer's  last  battle  is  well  described.. 
BOYS  OF  THE  FORT,  Or  A  Young  Captain's  Pluck. 

This  story  of  stirring  doings  at  one  of  our  well-known  forts  in  the 
Wild  West  is  of  more  than  ordinary  interest.    Gives  a  good  insight  inU» 
army  life  of  to-day. 
THE  YOUNG  BANDMASTER,  Or  Concert,  Stage  and  Battlefield. 

The  hero  is  a  youth  who  becomes  a  cornetist  in  an  orchestra,  and  works 
his  way  up  to  the  leadership  of  a  brass  band.      He  is  carried  off  to  sea 
and  is  taken  to  Cubaj  and  while  there  joins  a  military  band  which  accom 
panies  our  soldiers  in  the  attack  on  Santiago. 
OFF  FOR  HAW  An,  Or  The  Mystery  of  a  Great  Volcano. 

Several  boys  start  on  a  tour  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands.     They  have 
heard  that  there  is  a  treasure  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Kilauea,  the  larg- 
•st  active  volcano  in  the  world,  and  go  in  search  of  it. 
A  SAILOR  BOY  WITH  DEWEY,  Or  Afloat  in  the  Philippines. 

The  story  of  Dewey's  victory  in  Manila  Bay  as  it'appeared  to  a  real 
five  American  youth  who  was  in  the  navy  at  the  time.    Many  adventures 
In  Manila  and  in  the  interior  follow. 
WHEN  SANTIAGO  FELL,  Or  The  War  Adventures  of  Two  Chums 

Two  boys  leave  New  York  to  join  their  parents  in  Cuba.  The  war 
*>etween  Spain  and  the  Cubans  is  on,  and  the  boys  are  detained  at  Santi 
ago,  but  escape  across  the  bay  at  night.  Many  adventures  follow. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        I         NEW  YORK 


The  Railroad  Series 

BY  ALLEN  CHAPMAN. 

Ralph  Fairbanks  was  bound  to  become  a  railroad  man,  as 
his  father  had  been  before  him.  Step  by  step  he  worked  his 
way  upward,  serving  first  in  the  Roundhouse,  cleaning  loco 
motives;  then  in  the  Switch  Tower,  clearing  the  tracks;  then 
on  the  Engine,  as  a  fireman;  then  as  engineer  of  the  Over 
land  Express;  and  finally  as  Train  Dispatcher. 

In  this  Mne  of  books  there  is  revealed  the  whole  workings 
of  a  great  American  railroad  system.  There  are  adventures 
in  abundance — railroad  wrecks,  dashes  through  forest  fires,  the 
pursuit  of  a  "wildcat"  locomotive,  the  disappearance  of  a 
pay  car  with  a  large  sum  of  money  on  board — but  there  is 
much  more  than  this — the  intense  rivalry  among  railroads  and 
railroad  men,  the  working  out  of  running  schedules,  the  get 
ting  through "  on  time "  in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  and  the 
manipulation  of  railroad  securities  by  evil  men  who  wish  to 
rule  or  ruin. 

Books  that  every  American  boy  ought  to  own. 

RALPH,  THE  TRAIN  DISPATCHER 

Or  The  Mystery  of  the  Pay  Car. 

RALPH  ON  THE  OVERLAND  EXPRESS 

Or  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  a  Young  Engineer. 

RALPH  ON  THE  ENGINE 

Or  The  Young  Fireman  of  the  Limited  Mail. 

RALPH  OF  THE  ROUND  HOUSE 

Or  Bound  to  Become  a  Railroad  Man. 

RALPH  IN  THE  SWITCH  TOWER 

Or  Clearing  the  Track. 
i2mo.    Illustrated.    Handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         -          NEW  YORK 


THE    TOM     SWIFT   SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

12 mo.  CLOTH.       UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING.       COLORED  WRAPPERS. 

These  spirited  tales  convey  in  a  realistic  way  the  wonderful  ad 
vances  In  land  and  sea  locomotion.  Stories  like  these  are  improsied 
upon  the  memory  and  their  reading  is  productive  only  of  good. 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  CYCLE 

Or  Fun  and  Adventure  on  the  Road 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  BOAT 

Or  The  Rivals  of  Lake  Carlopa 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRSHIP 

Or  The  Stirring  Cruise  of  the  Red  Cloud 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SUBMARINE  BOAT 
Or  Under  the  Ocean  for  Sunken  Treasure 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RUNABOUT 
Or  The  Speediest  Car  on  the  Road 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIRELESS  MESSAGE 

Or  The  Castaways  of  Earthquake  Island 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  DIAMOND  MAKERS 
Or  The  Secret  of  Phantom  Mountain 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CAVES  OF  ICE 

Or  The  Wreck  of  the  Airship 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  RACER 

Or  The  Quickest  Flight  on  Record 
TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RIFLE 

Or  Daring  Adventures  in  Elephant  Land 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLD 

Or  Marvellous  Adventures  Underground 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 

Or  Seeking  the  Platinum  Treasure 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  CAPTIVITY 

Or  A  Daring  Escape  by  Airship 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIZARD  CAMERA 

Or  The  Perils  of  Moving  Picture  Taking 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  SEARCHLIGHT 

Or  On  the  Border  for  Uncle  Sam 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GIANT  CANNON 

Or  The  Longest  Shots  on  Record 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  PHOTO  TELEPHONE 

Or  The  Picture  that  Saved  a  Fortune 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AERIAL  WARSHIP 

Or  The  Naval  Terror  of  the  Seas 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  BIG  TUNNEL 

Or  The  Hidden  City  of  the  Andes 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP^  PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  SERIES 

By  CAPTAIN  QUINCY  ALLEN 

The  outdoor  chums  are  four  wide-awake  lads,  sons  of 
wealthy  men  of  a  small  city  located  on  a  lake.  The  boys 
love  outdoor  life,  and  are  greatly  interested  in  hunting,  fish 
ing,  and  picture  taking.  They  have  motor  cycles,  motor 
boats,  canoes,  etc.,  and  during  their  vacations  go  everywhere 
and  have  all  sorts  of  thrilling  adventures.  The  stories  give 
full  directions  for  camping  out,  how  to  fish,  how  to  hunt  wild 
animals  and  prepare  the  skins  for  stuffing,  how  to  manage  a 
canoe,  how  to  swim,  etc.  Full  of  the  spirit  of  outdoor  life. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS 

Or  The  First  Tour  of  the  Rod,  Gun  and  Camera  Cub. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  ON  THE  LAKE 
Or  Lively  Adventures  on  Wildcat  Island. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  IN  THE  FOREST 
Or  Laying  the  Ghost  of  Oak  Ridge. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  ON  THE  GULF 
Or  Rescuing  the  Lost  Balloonists. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  AFTER  BIG  GAME 
Or   Perilous  Adventures  in  the  Wilderness, 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS.  ON  .A  HOUSEBOAT 
Or  The  Rivals  of  the  Mississippi. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  IN  THE  BIG  WOODS 
Or  The  Rival  Hunters  at  Lumber  Run. 

fHE   OUTDOOR   CHUMS   AT   CABIN   POINT 
Or  The  Golden  Cup  Mystery. 

12moo  Averaging  240  pages.  Illustrated.  Handsomely 
bound  in  Cloth. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH 
SERIES 

By  GRAHAM  B.  FORBES 

Never  was  there  a  cleaner,  brighter,  more  manly  boy 
;han  Frank  Allen,  the  hero  of  this  series  of  boys'  tales,  and 
never  was  there  a  better  crowd  of  lads  to  associate  with  than 
the  students  of  the  School.  All  boys  will  read  these  stories 
with  deep  interest  The  rivalry  between  the  towns  along  the 
river  was  of  the  keenest,  and  plots  and  counterplots  to  win 
the  champions,  at  baseball,  at  football,  at  boat  racing,  at 
track  athletics,  and  at  ice  hockey,  were  without  number. 
Any  lad  reading  one  volume  of  this  series  will  surely  want 
the  others. 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH 
Or  The  All  Around  Rivals  of  the  School 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  DIAMOND 

Or  Winning  Out  by  Pluck 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  RIVER 
Or  The  Boat  Race  Plot  that  Failed 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  GRIDIRON 
Or  The  Struggle  for  the  Silver  Cup 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  ICE 
Or  Out  for  the  Hockey  Championship 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  IN  TRACK  ATH 
LETICS 
Or  A  Long  Run  that  Won 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  IN  WINTER  SPORTS 
Or  Stirring  Doings  on  Skates  and  Iceboats 

12mo.  Illustrated.  Handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  with  cover 
design  and  wrappers  in  colors. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE    MOTION    PICTURE 
CHUMS    SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.        ILLUSTRATED.       UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING. 

In  these  stories  we  follow  the  adventures  of  three  boys, 
who,  after  purchasing  at  auction  the  contents  of  a  moving 
picture  house,  open  a  theatre  of  their  own.  Their  many 
trials  and  tribulations,  leading  up  to  the  final  success  of 
their  venture,  make  very  entertaining  stories. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  FIRST  VENTURE 
Or  Opening  a  Photo  Playhouse  in  Fairlands. 

The  adventures  of  Frank,  Randy  and  Pep  In  running  a  Motion 
Picture  show.  They  had  trials  and  tribulations  but  finally  succeed. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  AT  SEASIDE  PARK 
Or  The  Rival  Photo  Theatres  of  the  Boardwalk. 

Their  success  at  Fairlands  encourages  the  boys  to  open  their 
show  at  Seaside  Park,  where  they  have  exciting  adventures — also  a 
profitable  season. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  ON  BROADWAY 
Or  The  Mystery  of  the  Missing  Cash  Box. 

Backed  by  a  rich  western  friend  the  chums  established  a  photo 
playhouse  in  the  great  metropolis,  where  new  adventures  await  them. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  OUTDOOR  EXHIBI 
TION 
(Or  The  Film  that  Solved  a  Mystery. 

This  time  the  playhouse  was  in  a  big  summer  park.  How  a  film 
that  was  shown  gave  a  dew  to  an  important  mystery  is  interest 
ingly  related. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  NEW  IDEA 
Or  The  First  Educational  Photo  Playhouse. 

In  this  book  the  scene  is  shifted  to  Boston,  and  there  Is  Intense 
rivalry  in  the  establishment  of  photo  playhouses  of  educational  value. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  AT  THE  FAIR 
Or  The  Greatest  Film  Ever  Exhibited. 

The  chums  go  to  San  Francisco,  where  they  have  some  trials 
but  finally  meet  with  great  success. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  WAR  SPECTACLE 
Or  The  Film  that  Won  the  Prize. 

Through  being  of  service  to  the  writer  of  a  great  scenario, 
the  chums  are  enabled  to  produce  it  and  win  a  prize. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


23%'59.QT, 

REC'D  LD 

.'.I':  ;C  1959 

NTFR-1  IRRAHY 

|O      ar  r^RO                 t 

LOAN 

iA-TVpl  OsJUCI 

AUG  4     1970 

REC'D  LD 

APR    4'65-iP 

Si  'T1 

S^1* 

AUG  2  5  1980 


APR  - 1  i 


MAR     1  1978 


ifEC'D  CIRC  DEPT    [pro  2  2 


LD  21A-50m-4,'59 
(A1724slO)476B 


General  Libra 
University  of  Calii 
Berkeley 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


€0550623=11 


